Originally published 11/3/10. When Amos Lee was in town last summer to headline the GreenNote festival, he basically seduced a couple hundred Seattleites with an acoustic guitar, soaring vocals, and dry-as-the-Sahara wit. We kicked back on the lawn at Seattle Center, beers in hand, indulging in what felt like a private backyard performance by one of the country’s most compelling singer-songwriters. And you know what? I saw people dance. In daylight. Right in front of the stage, where they also chatted with Lee during his set. He’s a talker.

It was the same weekend as Capitol Hill Block Party, which, admittedly, is a totally different scene. But did I get to chat with MGMT during their performance? Hells no. I was spending most of my time trying not to get trampled by hipsters.

Which is why it blows my mind that Lee continues to play such small shows in Seattle. He sang to about 30 superfans at the Triple Door’s Musicquarium in late October, but thankfully, he returns for an actual stage show on January 20 at the Moore Theatre. And shockingly, a few tickets are still available at stgpresents.org. Expect to hear a preview of his new album, Mission Bell, due out January 25. Vusi Mahlasela opens at 7:30; Amos comes on at 8:30.

He performs his first single, "El Camino"—a mournful track about his lonely days recording in California—in the clip below.