David Gray and Ray LaMontagne Live at Meadowbrook Music Festival

There are few musicians as different as David Gray and Ray LaMontagne.  Gray is a flamboyant Englishman who loves to embellish on almost every song, while LaMontagne is incredibly shy, and, aside from adding some mellow drums, rarely deviates from the way the song appears on studio records.  However, if there is one thing that both have in common, it is this: both are simply brilliant live.

Gray and LaMontagne played what appeared to be a sold-out show Thursday night, and were started off right by Serena Ryder, who already has a gold album with “If Your Memory Serves You Well”, as well as a Juno that she received in 2008 for “Best New Artist”.  With a voice reminiscent of both Emmylou Harris and Reba McEntire, Ryder’s voice is bluesy, with just enough of a pop edge to make her commercial.  Although she played for just 20 minutes, Ryder proved that she has enough charisma and talent to make her a name to remember.

LaMontagne was up next, who started the show off with the infectious “Repo Man”, which demonstrated LaMontagne’s ability to sing and play a fluid combination of rock, folk, and blues.  Instead of standing front and center, LaMontagne stood to the far right of the stage, even with his bandmates, all of whom were fantastic.  Dressed in a tan beret, a chocolate brown dress vest over a tan dress shirt, brown pants, and dress shoes, LaMontagne looked as classy and smooth as he sounded.  Speaking little between songs, and almost always only thanking the crowd, he addressed the crowd directly just one time, asking them to be quiet for “Are We Really Through“, during which the crowd was utterly silent.  Clearly an incredibly talented musician, LaMontagne played numerous songs from his new album, “God Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise”, as well as several hits, including “Trouble”, “Hold You In My Arms”, and “You Are the Best Thing”.  LaMontagne finished his set with the ever-popular “Jolene”, and seemed incredibly grateful for the support of the crowd when he left for the evening.  One of the most noticeable aspects of LaMontagne’s set was the fact that he is far, far more talented live than he appears on his records.  His voice has an immeasurable amount of character to it, and the records simply fail to demonstrate the raw talent that he possesses.  

Half of an hour later, it was Gray’s turn.  Always the showman, Gray started off the set with the title track from his 2009 release, “Draw the Line”, followed quickly by that album’s single, “Fugitive”, with both of which having far more life to them than on the studio versions.  Gray warned the crowd that he “was suffering from a bit of a sore throat”, and that he could use all the help he could get.  Despite this, Gray sounded flawless, and, when his voice started to waiver slightly, he asked the crowd to sing along, which they did more than willingly.  Throughout the show, when he wasn’t playing the guitar or piano, Gray demonstrated his love of performing, whether he was playing along with the drums, dancing, or engaging the crowd.  Gray played several of his hits, including “Sail Away”, “This Year’s Love”, and “Be Mine”, the last of which he said was for those few romantics left in the world.  Throughout the night, Gray simply fed off the energy of the crowd; when they cheered or sang along, it was more than apparent that he loved it.  One of the most memorable songs of the night was “Kathleen”, which combined a smooth piano line with Gray’s passionate vocals.  Another highlight was “Life in Slow Motion”, which Gray replaced the line “Snowflakes are falling / I catch them in my hands”, with “Moonbeams are falling / I catch them in my hands”, adding a more appropriate twist on a brilliant song.  Backed by a superb band, Gray was more than able to embellish on several of his songs, including a non-album portion of “Nemesis” that left the crowd silent while Gray captivated his audience with an emotional digression from the original version.  Gray played a four-song encore, including his biggest American hit, “Babylon”, which the crowd utterly loved.  Despite his sore throat, Gray put on one of the best performances I have ever witnessed, both vocally and musically.  Clearly a showman, Gray managed to bring the crowd, which was mostly in its late thirties to forties, to it’s feet for the entire second half of his set.  

Overall, this was one of-if not the-best concert I have ever attended.  Not only were LaMontagne and Gray excellent musically, but their voices were some the richest I have ever heard.  Despite their obvious differences, Gray and LaMontagne equally demonstrated that they’re far more talented than they’re given credit for.

Jason Mraz Live at the EMU Convocation Center on 9/16/10

Jason Mraz and Robert Francis played to an enthusiastic crowd Thursday night at the Eastern Michigan Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, MI.  Backed by a talented band, Francis started the show off right with a set that was both charismatic and emotional, which included several of his better known songs, including “Junebug” and “Darkness”, revealing on more than one occasion his similarities to many of the most prominent alternative singer-songwriters of  today, such as Ryan Adams and Glen Hansard of ‘The Swell Season’.  Francis also played several new songs, during one of which he played a guitar solo that brought the crowd to its feet.  With memorable melodies and relatable lyrics, Francis captivated the crowd for the entirety of his set.  

Mraz came on shortly after, starting off with a new song, which he dedicated particularly to those in the past, but to those in the present as well.  With lyrics that included “And I’m so grateful as can be / ‘Cause I get to play in Ypsilanti”-sending the crowd into a roar-Mraz started the show off in grand fashion as he soulfully played a Fender Telecaster.   A few songs later, he invited a female member of the crowd to join him on stage to dance together as he sang a tango-infused Spanish song, entirely entertaining the crowd.  He then followed it up with “Sleeping to Dream”, a track he dedicated to the child he has yet to have, during which the crowd was utterly silent.  Backed by an brilliant band that included a captivating horns section, Mraz demonstrated his incredible vocals on more than one occasion as he played reworked versions of many of this songs.  Giving credit to one of his sound engineers, Mraz revealed that the entire back portion stage was composed of previously-used two-liter bottles in an effort to be more environmentally conscious.  Mraz also played a soulful version of “Coyotes”, blending a variety of different styles, including rock, reggae, and jazz in a fluid combination; however the most incredible moment of the night came during that song when Mraz sang notes that most had perviously believed only a female opera singer could hit.  Mraz also played a reggae version of his first hit, “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)”, keeping the song sounding refreshingly different without losing the melodic qualities that made it a hit in the first place.  Finally, Mraz played a three song encore, the second of which included his most popular hit, “I’m Yours”, as well as a song that he essentially rapped while two members of the audience danced on each edge of the stage, ending the show on an incredibly memorable note that left the crowd on its feet long after he left the stage.  

Overall, Mraz demonstrated not only his immeasurable talent as a musician, but also his ability to interact with the crowd in a remarkably relatable manner, a talent that is rarely found in many of today’s most popular musicians.  With Francis starting the show off right, Mraz was more than able to keep the crowd both entertained and engaged during the entirety of his hour and half set.