Kicking My Feet with Ruel at The Underground

Marking stop number six on his Kicking My Feet North American tour, Ruel captures the attention of Charlotte on a warm Wednesday night! The night begins with Arthur Hill taking the stage at The Underground, opening with “She’s So Handsome” to set the tone of the evening. His energetic and upbeat sound carries through songs like “Miracle” and “Right Now”, which leaves the crowd pumped and ready to go for Ruel by the time he steps offstage.

The lights dim, fog fills the air, and the crowd cheers as Ruel enters the room, stepping through a red door centerstage as the opening notes to “Only Ever” begin to play. The building is buzzing with energy as he grooves his way across the stage wearing all black, the silver star ring sitting on his right hand catching the light every so often. The energy stays high as he throws it back a bit playing songs like “Dazed and Confused” and “I Can Die Now” from his prior albums. Fresh off Valentine’s Day, it was sweet to watch all of the couples in the crowd swaying together to “Younger”. 

The show shifts into a more intimate mood as Ruel shares the story behind “No News Is Good News”, a song written from the perspective of his mother as he spends time away from home. This moment of vulnerability is perfectly complemented by the song that follows, “Even Angels Won’t”, which is a touching ballad about his love and admiration for his mother. There’s not a dry eye in the room before Ruel transitions into a cover of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Mike Reid. Even during these quieter moments, the connection between Ruel and the crowd is palpable.

The mood of the night swings back into party mode once “The Suburbs” begins to play.  Ruel is dancing, I am dancing, and I’m pretty sure I even see security moving a bit at times! It hardly feels like a Wednesday night. Ruel has this fun, playful chaotic energy about him as he interacts with the crowd throughout the evening, reaching out for the audience to call back lyrics to him and goofing around with the crowd on the barricade. Everyone is having the time of their lives as we dance our way through the final half of the setlist.

The night closes on an excellent note as we finish out with one of Ruel’s most streamed songs from 2019, “Painkiller”. While six years separates the song’s release to now, you’d never guess it. The song feels just as timeless as ever with the entire crowd belting every single word. As the final notes of the night fade away, the electric energy Ruel has brought with him all the way from Australia follows us out the door. Walking out of The Underground that night, there’s one thing that I knew for certain: Ruel had me “kicking my feet” right along with him! If this stop in Charlotte is any indication of the rest of his tour, it’s something you won’t want to miss! Check out the rest of Ruel’s tour dates here.