American singer-songwriter Mark Ambor made his debut in Prague at Roxy last Thursday night, playing to a sold-out crowd. The line to get in was outside and around the block still 30 minutes after doors opened, with fans excited to welcome Ambor and his opener Isabel Dumaa to Prague for the first time.
American pop singer Isabel Dumaa took the stage in a classy black dress, immediately bringing an air of calm to the venue. As the crowd hushed, Dumaa’s gorgeous, pure voice radiated out from the stage as she glided through songs like “Enough For You” and her most recent hit single, “Quarter Life Crisis.” She also took the time to play some unreleased songs, treating the audience to a sneak peek of what’s to come in her musical journey. She also included an absolutely breathtaking cover of Billie Eilish’s hit “BIRDS OF A FEATHER.”
Aside from the music itself, her camaraderie with her bandmates was a joy to watch. Her keyboardist rarely stopped smiling and she and her guitarist shared a silly moment when she accidentally popped the cord out of the instrument as she walked across the stage. Her interactions with the crowd were no less genuine, as she regularly reached out to take people’s hands and even grabbed a fan’s camcorder and brought it up on stage to capture what must’ve been some amazing video footage.
After Dumaa’s departure, the stage was dressed up to look almost like a campground or an outdoor patio complete with string lights, a vintage speaker containing the Rockwood logo, and a large banner saying “Rockwood” hanging at the back.
When Mark Ambor took the stage, he was met with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. He opened with hit songs “I Hope It All Works Out” and “Academy Street,” both from his debut album Rockwood released last fall. His energy was infectious as he crossed the stage from side to side, encouraging fans to sing and move along with him.
Ambor’s signature wide smile never left his face, easily spreading to the audience and forming a more personal connection with the fans. He also took some time to explain the name Rockwood, noting Rockwood Park in his hometown as a significant place for him when he was growing up in Pleasantville, NY.
Ambor also treated the crowd to some unreleased songs, including “Our Song” and “Who Knows,” the highly anticipated single to be released on May 9th. One of the show’s highlights, however, was when he stepped off the stage and into the crowd with his guitar to play a few songs, including his own hit “Hate That I Still Love You” and a cover of Coldplay’s “Yellow.” He performed these tracks without a microphone, but his voice carried throughout the crowded venue as the atmosphere became even more intimate.
Upon returning to the stage, he sat down at the piano to play a few songs. Ambor also demonstrated his talent as a multi-instrumentalist throughout his set, switching back and forth between his guitar, the piano, and a ukulele. The end of his set consisted of “Rockwood,” and “Good To Be,” his cheery energy permeating throughout the room at every opportunity.
When he sauntered offstage giving the crowd a thumbs up, it was clear that he’d be back very soon. We didn’t have to wait long – he quickly returned and was almost immediately handed yet another Czech flag (he already had two on stage with him) from the audience, with this one saying “U and Prague Belong Together.” He showed the flag to the crowd as he joked that he didn’t know where to put all these flags on stage with him.
He then launched into an encore performance of “My Love!” followed by perhaps his most famous song, “Belong Together,” meeting thunderous applause from the audience. Once the song was over, he stood on stage looking out at the crowd with that genuine smile on his face, taking it all in. The audience didn’t stop roaring, and Ambor looked around at his bandmates almost in disbelief as he started to tear up.
Following the applause, he paused after what should have been the end of the set before announcing that he wasn’t ready to leave yet. Spontaneously wanting to extend the moment, he pulled his bandmates to the front of the stage and sat down. They quickly decided which song they would play next, and launched into an improvised acoustic rendition of “Good To Be,” much to the crowd’s delight. This felt like a special treat – an intimate, closer performance of the hit song meant just for this specific crowd.
So much joy and love were in the air that night, radiating both from the excited and loyal fans and from Mark Ambor himself, who was clearly having the time of his life up on that stage. His debut performance in Prague was certainly a success, and we hope to welcome him back again very soon.
If you haven’t caught the Rockwood Tour yet, it’s not too late – Mark Ambor and Isabel Dumaa still have a few dates left on the European leg of this tour, which wraps up in Madrid on May 15. Tickets are available here.
Follow Mark Ambor: Website // YouTube // Instagram // Spotify
Follow Isabel Dumaa: Website // Spotify // Instagram
