Donavon Frankenreiter at the Bowery Ballroom

Donavon Frankenreiter was born in Downey, California, and by age 14 became a professional surfer and relocated to Hawaii. Signed to a sponsorship as a free surfer, he was paid to ride the waves but not required to surf in competitions. In Hawaii, he rented a home from the parents of Jack Johnson, a fellow surfer. The two became surf buddies and learned to play guitar together. At age 18, Frankenreiter played guitar in Peanut Butter and Jam, and in his early 20s formed a rock quintet called Sunchild. Sunchild recorded three albums and disbanded in 2001. Frankenreiter launched a solo career as an acoustic singer/songwriter in 2002, later forming the Donavon Frankenreiter Band. His sixth and most recent solo album is 2015's The Heart.

Donavon Frankenreiter has been headlining a concert at the Bowery Ballroom annually since at least 2011, and with no new album available, his returning fans tonight clung to the familiar. Backed by multi-instrumentalist Matt Grundy and a drummer, Frankenreiter's mellow, breezy and upbeat song structures were weaved with soulful, whispery croons, stinging guitar leads and funky rhythms that latched onto gentle and almost hypnotic grooves. Some of these songs led into gruff and gritty guitar solos that were almost jarring but maintained the pulse of the composition. Frankenreiter brought up a New York City firefighter friend to join him for a song, but otherwise there were no surprises; the show was yet another signature performance with a formula that may remain unchanged if he returns to the venue next year.

Visit Donavon Frankenreiter at www.donavonf.com.