If there was any justice in the music world, Slowdive would be regarded as highly as My Bloody Valentine and Neil Halstead wouldn’t have a difficult time selling out a venue as small as Union Hall. Unfortunately for the Slowdive and Mojave 3 singer/songwriter the Brooklyn venue wasn’t at capacity for his performance on Tuesday night. Maybe it was the rainy weather or that everyone was busy seeing a “flavor of the month” band, but either way it’s somewhat depressing. While much of my experience of the intimate solo performance was marred by a crowd member in need of a gag ball and a blow to the head, the moments during which Halstead’s soundwaves were not interrupted were immensely rewarding. The former shoegaze pioneer has built himself quite a catalog of brilliant songs. Stripped down to the bare presentation of an acoustic guitar and vocals, Halstead has proven to be the most gifted songwriter to come out of the shoegaze movement. Where My Bloody Valentine’s songs most deeply depended on Kevin Shield’s sonic brilliance, Slowdive were always more about the songwriting.

Well into the set, Halstead began taking requests, and to my pleasant surprise he played classic Slowdive tune “Allison.” Hearing the stripped down version gave it an extra level of depth—the words becoming more meaningful. It was one of those golden moments when everyone in a room seems to be feeling a special kind of magic. It’s not often that a live performance can be so touching.

Throughout his lengthy performance Halstead displayed a humble, approachable character. He cracked jokes and even handed out a couple beers to the crowd. He was the epitome of what we want our idols to be like.