Padding from The Petals

Dressed in a striped sweater, green cargo pants and a floppy brown hat, David Hopkins looked more like a fisherman taking the stage Friday at Thunderbird Lounge than the acoustic crooner he is.

Luckily, that’s where the misunderstandings ended. The recent addition to the Vegas music scene showed Neon Reverb audiences why Damien Rice agreed to be featured on one of his songs. It’s not just because the two are from Ireland, but also because Hopkins is good at what he does — which involves toting a guitar case, not a tackle box.

After being introduced personally by National Southwestern founder Ronald Corso, Hopkins’ serenades brought a surprise when he was joined mid-set by another soft-singing act, local female duo The Petals.

The girls stood on the side of the stage and padded Hopkins’ lyrics with their harmonies, although they ended up being mostly overrun by his stronger vocal presence.

By the end of the early set, Hopkins and his Garden State soundtrack-sound successfully warmed-up the room for the rest of the extended lineup.

Only one tip to offer: Leave the hat at home next time.