Fans may recognize actor Ben Barnes from his roles as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia films and The Darkling from the Netflix series Shadow and Bone. Now, Barnes is stepping into a new role: singer-songwriter. In celebration of the release of his debut album, Where The Light Gets In, Barnes performed live in Boston as part of his global tour.
Zoe Sparks opened up the soulful night at the Royale with an acoustic set. As a Berklee alum, this return to Boston was something special. “Have I said this was crazy,” Sparks said, baffled as she tried to wrap her head around playing again in her second home. The last time she had played in Boston was at the same venue as an opener for Lawrence.
Her short but sweet three-song set showcased both her raw talent and endearing charm, as she shared stories of clumsy mishaps, including an unexpected move to the same city as her ex.
As if on Spotify autoplay, Sophia James took the stage next, seamlessly continuing the night’s momentum. Sophia effortlessly jumped between piano, guitar, and vocals, as she looped her melodies and beats in real time. Her talent left the last opener of the night, Charles Jones in awe, as he explained the skill level it takes to oscillate between beatbox and vocals, pointing to acapella groups who usually have one member just to cover percussion.
As Charles stepped up to the piano, it was immediately apparent that he knew what he was talking about. His bubbly personality put the audience at ease, and his powerful vocals left them speechless. Between heartfelt originals, Charles put his own fervent spin on Radiohead’s “Creep.”
When it was finally time for Ben Barnes to take the stage, the audience erupted as his openers assembled beside him like musical Avengers. With this level of talent forming his backing band, there was no doubt the show would be unforgettable.
Where The Light Gets In is a reflection on healing. In a press release announcing the album, Ben shared his hopes for the dynamic project were to bring, “clarity when life feels sombre, empower you in the face of pain or vulnerability, and make you feel lovable when the world tries to tell you that you’re not enough.”
Ben’s set opened with a cinematic video projected on screens both down stage and across the ceiling, that underscored the album’s poignant themes. The visuals featured Kintsugi, the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, a metaphor for his own healing journey, one that is also reflected in the album’s cover.
Ben embarked on his 17 song set with “Beloved,” a track off his debut album. During the song, Ben was visibly moved as the crowd surprised him by holding up paper hearts that read “You’re Our Light.”
In return, Ben offered glimpses into his own journey towards healing through sharing the deeply personal stories behind songs that touched on everything from heartbreak to pursuing dreams.
Many of the people woven into those stories were right beside him on stage. Ben was his band’s biggest cheerleader, encouraging the audience to stream each musician’s work. He also shared a fun bit of trivia: his drummer is also his manager, whom he met while filming Killing Bono. He pointed out the irony of pretending to be in a band on screen and now actually living that reality.
However, neither this album nor the tour was purely happenstance, but the realization of a dream, as reflected in his song “Someday.” Since its release, fans have embraced the track, using it as the soundtrack to videos documenting their own pursuits.
“I see all these beautiful videos of people doing extraordinary things to my song,” Ben told the audience before leaving them with a bit of advice. “Whatever your thing is, don’t let the people in your life, whether they’re friends who are judging you or parents who are standing in the way, whatever it is don’t let them get in the way of doing that thing. If you take one thing away from tonight because I am a 43 year old man starting to sing pop music. And I hadn’t really written a song until I was about 35. So it is never too late.”
Other highlights of the show included a special guest appearance by Tema Siegel, lead vocalist of Couch, a band Ben enthusiastically revealed was at the top of his Spotify Wrapped. Ben also jumped behind the drum kit for a rousing performance of Bishop Brigg’s “Like A River,” and brought the house down with a cover of Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets.”
After captivating his Boston audience by creating a night filled with powerhouse performances and messages of resilience, Ben proved that it’s never too late to step into a new role.
You can follow along with Ben’s music and acting on Instagram @benbarnes.
