After announcing his new album Calico almost a year ago, singer/songwriter Ryan Beatty took on a North American tour, making his third stop being at the Studio at the Factory in Dallas.
Ryan Beatty, dressed in a zip up hoodie and cowboy boots, sat amongst his bandmates of 6-7 instrumentalists under a soft spotlight grazing at him from above. The setlist featured the complete Calico album, complemented by a selection of his earlier tracks from his first two albums Dreaming of David and Boy in Jeans. He gave the crowd a silk-smooth vocal performance from beginning to end. His vocals were paired brilliantly with the equally polished performance of his talented bandmates.
When listening to Ryan Beatty’s discography you can most likely find themes relating to the complexities of identity, queer love, introspection and cinematic storytelling. In his previous two albums, you are likely to hear energetic tempos and beat switches, but in Calico all those elements are stripped back into a body of work that embraces softer, guitar-driven sounds. Although what does not change, is the magical lyricism he continues to push out with every record. In “Ribbons,” he writes: “It’s brave to be nothing to no one at all.” This track sets the mood of the record with its angelic strings, light percussion and piano. At its Core, Calico is persistently seeking answers for those on a journey through love.
At the end of the show Beatty was smiling ear to ear thanking the crowd graciously. It was evident how much Beatty values his craft and giving the audience a pure authentic performance.
I'm a Dallas based film photographer and designer. I'm an all-around lover of the arts, specifically music. I studied Visual Communication Design and Communication Technology at the University of Texas at Arlington. I discovered my love for photography after taking a black and white photo class in 2019, where I learned how to develop, scan, and print 35mm film. In my free time I like to try new restaurants, visit art museums, and read!
