Written By Christina Meadows
Sunday, March 9th, 2025
What an incredible night at Lyric Hall in New Haven, Connecticut! The quiet, quaint hall quickly filled up with a sold out and enthusiastic crowd. Two unbelievable acts were lined up to take the stage: Frank Viele, and Adam Ezra.
Frank Viele, the opening act, was given a warm and welcoming introduction by a key figure in Connecticut’s music scene: Stephen Peter Rodgers. Frank took the stage confidently in his infamous black hat, and started out so strongly that a circuit overloaded!
Sound technician for the night, Tom D’Ademo, quickly rushed with Lyric Hall owner, John Cavaliere, to fix the circuit. While that was happening, Adam Ezra grabbed his guitar and ran down the stairs, barefoot, leaping onto the stage. Ezra broke into song, playing “Let it Be” by the Beatles, which was the perfect tune to fit the situation. The crowd’s energy gravitated to Ezra, helping them forget about the lack of power! Frank joined in on his guitar, and the spontaneous performance put a fun spin on the song, changing the lyrics to: “Even when the power’s busted.” The crowd couldn’t help but sing along. By the end of the song, the power had been restored, and the show could resume.
After the excitement, Frank Viele officially took the stage. His first number was a song full of force and emotion, immediately drawing the listeners back in. It seemed as though the mishap that took place during the opening of the show did not rattle him at all. In between songs, he cracked jokes and made light of the situation, which kept the crowd engaged. Despite the jokes, though, emotions filled the room. When he played his song, “Trying to Raise a Man” his lyrics touched everyone.
Before his last song, Viele spoke words of kindness towards Ezra, noting that “He is a role model to me,” and said how honored he was to share the stage with him. Frank closed out his set with a strong, hard-hitting, blues-inspired song, “Broken Love Song.”
You could tell the cheerful ambiance of the gorgeous Lyric Hall affected everyone. Many smiles were seen on people’s faces during the brief intermission. Then Adam Ezra returned to the stage wearing a fresh Frank Viele t-shirt, which further demonstrated his good-humored nature. His first number was an unreleased song called, “Pink Champagne.” He shared an anecdote about receiving the final demo of the song on his way to Connecticut, and during his performance he shared many other stories of being on the road. Ezra also shared his admiration for Lyric Hall, stating: “There’s no theater you could build today that could feel like this.”
Ezra’s fourth song, “Steal your daughter,” had the entire crowd entranced. It was a strong, upbeat jig that had the crowd singing back! After things slowed down a bit, Ezra brought out a mandolin to play a soulful song. He migrated around the stage while playing, connecting with the crowd. Shortly after that, Ezra invited Viele to join him on his song, “Switching to Whiskey” and then another song after, much to the crowd’s pleasure.
They played as if they had played together for years, and though Ezra’s song was new to Viele, he nailed it! The crowd was enthralled. Ezra’s songs varied from soft and heartfelt to active and upbeat, and not for a second did the attention stray from the stage. Everyone leaned in closer as Ezra sat on the edge of the stage and led them in a singalong. The night concluded with Ezra and Viele standing on chairs in the middle of the audience playing “Free Fallin” by Tom Petty, surrounded by everyone in chorus, recording and just soaking up the beautiful moment.
The night’s end was met by applause and joy, and everyone left with smiles and laughter. The night was a success! Ezra and Viele stayed after to meet with fans, and chat with everyone they could. They took pictures, signed autographs and thanked everyone for coming. This show at the historic Lyric Hall was inspired, and a wonderful incentive for music lovers to check out future shows there.
UPCOMING FRANK VIELE TOUR DATES:
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