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Bon Iver, live at the Tivoli in Brisbane – 17 Jan, 2009

Last night, I had probably the most visceral experience of my life, watching Bon Iver perform live at the Tivoli in Brisbane. To call it sublime would be an understatement.


It was over two years ago (side note: how fast is time going these days? I mean, honestly…) that the dulcet tones of Justin Vernon first made their ways to my ears. I managed to catch the tail end of the Hazeltons days/post DeYarmond Edison days, but really – if I’m honest – I was probably only fully hooked when I first heard Skinny Love. It’s a cardinal sin to admit something like that, when you’re a music blogger (especially considering the strength of the Hazeltons era), but that’s the moment when I realised that this was… different. That there was something transcendent in this music. So when the news made its way to me that Bon Iver would be performing at the Tivoli, I knew I would be going.

And man, am I glad I did.


boniver2Bon Iver performing live at the Tivoli in Brisbane


The gig was a sit down affair, which was a first for me at the Tivoli; but it complemented the night perfectly. First up, I have to talk about the crowd that was there that night. I’ve now been to more than my fair share of gigs at the Tivoli; but last night had, without a doubt, the best crowd of any gig that I have been to there. You always take a slight chance, in my opinion, with gigs at the Tiv: it’s such an intimate, beautiful setting, but sometimes you can get some really belligerent concert goers there (for some reason, they always seem to crawl out of the woodwork for the Ryan Adams gigs)… but last night, the Tiv was packed to the rafters with appreciative music fans. And it was an atmosphere that Justin and co. were definitely feeding off. For probably the first time, I truly believed an artist when they said, “You guys have just been the best audience”.

Because they were.


I’m getting slightly ahead of myself though. First up was the opening act, and for the life of me I could not hear the girl’s name. (update: @lexiphanic mentions in the comments below that the opening act was McKisko). This didn’t surprise me, as it was the same girl who opened up for Sophie Koh and Howie Day at the Troubadour last year, and I had the same trouble then. Regardless, “Performer X” has certainly improved since that last performance, but I was still left… cold, with her performance. There’s an attitude of avante-garde “raw emotion” to her stuff, but it comes across as a facade; too calculated, an “art school pastiche” for me to really believe it. I can hear there’s talent there, but I think this girl still needs a year or two to find herself, and I really hope she does.

After “Performer X”, it was time for Bon Iver to come on… and with an unassuming, “Hey everybody”, Justin and co. launched straight into Flume; and what a killer opening it was. I managed to catch a few videos of last night, and made sure I got the opening number; so here, below, is Bon Iver opening the night at the Tivoli, with “Flume”.



After that opening, the crowd simply fell, and fell hard, for Bon Iver.


There was just something in the air, that give and take between performer and crowd that meant the energy was simply electric, and unlike anything I have ever felt before. Nowhere was that connection better displayed than in the third song Bon Iver played, “The Wolves (Act I & II)”. (By the way, we all know my love for that tune as I featured it back here. Check out the video).

Justin introduced the song by asking the crowd to sing along with the band… and how we all did! The sheer emotion running through the crowd as we all sang, “What might have been lost…”, and the screaming towards the end was a sheer visceral moment that I think I will always remember. If ever emotion took hold of me, it was in that tune, and I was screaming along unashamedly as the song closed. I managed to get the whole thing on video, but unfortunately because of the noise levels towards the end with everyone screaming (in that last two minutes), it slightly turns into a sheer wall of sound; so you can’t quite hear what really happened that night. But trust me when I say it was beautiful.

Anyway: below, Bon Iver performing “The Wolves (Act I & II)”, live at the Tivoli.



Truly, truly magical, and a moment I will take with me for years to come.



boniver3Justin Vernon performing re: Stacks, solo at the Tivoli in Brisbane


After that, I have to admit, the night passed in a bit of an ecstatic blur for me… while I’m normally quite good at making a note of the setlist, that night I kind of blissed out and slacked in that duty a bit. However, for those who are interested, here is the set list as I recall it; that said, I’m sure there might be some errors or omissions in this, so feel free to drop a line in the comments if I’ve got something wrong below, and I’ll be sure to update the post.

Bon Iver at the Tivoli in Brisbane, 17/1/2009 setlist

1. Flume
2. Lump Sum
3. The Wolves (Act I & II)
4. Beach Baby
5. Blood Bank
6. re: Stacks
7. For Emma
8. Lovin’s for Fools (Sarah Siskind cover)
9. Babys (and yes, they do spell it that way. Check out the Blood Bank release)
10. Skinny Love

Encore

11. Creature Fear

Highlights of the set for me? Well, apart from the obvious answer of “Everything!”, I’d have to go with the previously mentioned “Wolves”, “Blood Bank” (which I featured back here, by the way, and which had an insanely frenetic guitar line at the end), and the solo rendition of “re: Stacks”. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get the entire performance of “re: Stacks” on camera, but I did manage to get just over 5 minutes of it, so I’ve included it below. The vulnerabilty of that man, lit up on stage is breathtaking.



And, of course, where would we be without mentioning “Skinny Love”? Sheer fragile beauty, combined with powerful, ravaging emotion (watch that floor tom being beaten towards the end of the track… that’s the very definition of cathartic music, in my opinion). In other words, the performance was perfection…



All in all, I can say this, without any fear of hyperbole… Bon Iver at the Tivoli was one of the best gigs I have ever been to. Without a doubt, without hesitation. I look back on this post, and I know that no matter how many times I rewrite this, I’ll never be able to truly convey the magic that transpired there that night. It was simply too big, too huge to post about. Those that were there will no what I mean when I say that. So really, all that’s left to say is thanks; so thanks to Justin and Co, for sharing that perfect night with us. We hope you come back soon, because until then… we’ll be waiting.



boniver4Bon Iver performing live at the Tivoli in Brisbane. Come back soon guys…

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Howie Day, live at the Troubadour in Brisbane

(Side Note: Apologies for the weird formatting issues in the below post. I’m posting this from the road, and my laptop seems to be acting up a bit. When I’m back at my regular computer next week, I’ll try and fix it up. For now, I hope you can put up with the changing fonts and weird picture alignments etc.)

So last night, I saw a musical genius at work. Those who have read this blog for any amount of time might know my somewhat obvious admiration for all things Howie Day. If you aren’t aware of this, I suggest you check out my last post regarding him, entitled, “Live Music Friday – Howie Day live at The House of Blues. (Or, I’m in mourning. I missed the Howie Day gig.)”.

Back? Ok, good. So, now that you’re up to speed, you can imagine my excitement when I learned that Howie Day was returning to Australia, this time headlining his own tour… and was performing at the Troubadour in Brisbane. This time, I wasn’t going to miss it for the world.

It was my first time visiting the Troubadour last night, and I must say, I was very impressed with the venue. Tiny and laid-back, it’s the perfect spot for a live, intimate gig. Unfortunately the crowd was… well, shall we say slightly young for the most part (in fact, at one stage Howie commented to one extremely tipsy amorous pre-legal age girl at the front of the crowd that “he remembered his first beer too”), but overall the setting was a great one.


Anyway, I’m getting slightly ahead of myself. First, there was the opening act. Well, two opening acts actually. The first was a girl that, for the life of me, I don’t think ever mentioned her name (sorry… if you by any chance come across this post, feel free to drop a comment so I can update the entry with a name). Her set was good, although I think she has a bit to learn about dealing with being an “opening act”. Her awkwardness was part of her charm though, and she played a short set which was worthwhile. After this mystery girl, Sophie Koh came on stage.

Sophie Koh is a girl that I had – coincidentally – only recently become aware of, so I was very interested in hearing her play. Although she apparently usually plays with a full band, Sophie was up on stage as a solo performer, and as much as she may protest against this statement, I really think this is the setting in which she excels. Sophie has that kind of vulnerability to her voice that you simply cannot dislike, and her guitar phrasing is nothing short of beautiful. Seeing as I’ve only recently become aware of her music, I won’t waffle on too much here. Suffice to say that, if you get the chance… go see this girl live. You won’t be disappointed.

Listen: Sophie Koh – All The Pretty Boys

After Sophie, it was time for the main event… Howie Day came on stage to what seemed like a subdued crowd (although I think the reason there was a hush was that everyone was waiting in what can only be termed extreme anticipation). It’s weird, but I don’t think I’ve been to a gig in the last 5 years where simply everyone was sitting on the ground in silence. But that was the case with this one. While I think Howie seemed somewhat unsure of what to make of such a crowd when he came out, I think he soon warmed to the fact that here was a crowd to listen.

After a quick, “How you doing?”, Howie launched straight into “Sorry, So Sorry”, which had the crowd in raptures. And it was here that my question was answered. In recent live shows of Howie’s that I’ve heard, it’s seemed clear that he appeared to be moving away from the looping effects of his shows from years past. While I could appreciate the new direction, I would have been lying if I said I wouldn’t have been disappointed if he didn’t employ his “trickery” as he so often termed it that night. However, launching into “Sorry”, it was clear that this was a disappointment I wasn’t going to have to deal with. Unfortunately, just as the song was reaching it’s emotional peak, it became clear that there were some power issues with Howie’s pedals that interfered with the sound equipment; interference that led to everything cutting out, and Howie having to stop, mid-song. Despite this clearly nerve-wracking time for Howie, once the issue was sorted he picked up the song, quite literally from the line he left off, and just let loose with an emotion that bowled us all over.

Howie Day performing live at The Troubadour
Howie Day performing live at The Troubadour

After “Sorry”, the night flew by in an absolute flash for me… I simply blissed out on – finally, after all these years – finally hearing one of my favourite musicians perform live. For those who are interested though, here’s the setlist (as I recall it) from the night. If you were at the gig though, and think I’ve missed something out, then drop a comment and let me know.

Howie Day at The Troubadour in Brisbane Setlist

Sorry, So Sorry
Brace Yourself
Ghost
Sunday Morning
No Longer What You Require (new song)
Sound the Alarm
Bunnies
Perfect Time of Day
Collide
Madrigals

Encore:
She Says

Highlights of the set for me? Well… to be honest… everything. However, if pushed to pick a few highlights, I’d say “Ghost” (of course), “Bunnies” (which was simply brimming with emotion), “Madrigals”, “Collide” (which Howie introduced as simply, “Well, here’s this song”, which was an indication of what a curse and blessing the song is, even all these years later. The reason it’s on my highlights list, though, is that it’s the reason my girlfriend came with me to the gig; a rare occasion), and the new song, “No Longer What You Require”. It was my first time hearing this new song, and – quite frankly – it’s the most excited I’ve been about Howie’s music in years. Point blank. And I don’t mean that in a derogatory way at all, it’s just an indication of how amazing the song is.

As I mentioned above, it’s pretty much impossible for me to give a song by song breakdown of the night, as I lost myself in the music. I will say this though… Howie not only lived up to my expectations – which after close on 8 years of waiting in anticipation, were not small… by any means – but he clearly overwhelmed them. The guy was nothing short of magical. Possessing one of the strongest voices I’ve ever witnessed, and with a musicality that simply towers over most over performers, the night was one that with stay with me for years to come. All I can offer, should some of Howie’s people stumble across this post in their usual reputation management checks, is my sincere thanks to Howie for a simply amazing night.


Howie's many pedals...
Howie's many pedals...


After Howie had finished for the night, he came out and joined the crowd (or what was left of it) for a while. Thankfully, I managed to meet him, and a more humble, gracious person you could not hope for. Despite what the media sometimes portray Howie as, I was amazed at how down to earth he was, and how hard he was obviously willing to work at his chosen career. I’ll be honest: I was amazed that Howie performed to such a small crowd, with such a cheap ticket price in the first place, given what he could obviously ask for. But he’s clearly committed to working on breaking it in Australia from the ground up, and that’s something I have major respect for. Anyway, I managed to snag a pic with him, which is below. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera that night, so all the pics are from a somewhat crappy phone camera… which is a pity, but still, at least it’s a reminder of a wonderful meeting. Thankfully, Howie was kind enough not to laugh at my fumbled, tongue-tied compliments.

Howie Day & Burgo
Howie Day & Burgo

Anyway, that’s clearly enough from me, as this post is becoming ridiculously long. All that’s left to say? Come back soon Howie. We’ll be waiting for you.

Listen. Love. Support.

Listen: Howie Day – She Says (link no longer active)

****
Update: 10 December, 2008

Seeing as this track has already been put out there on the ‘Tube (see the comments section of this post for more on that), I don’t see a problem with posting the mp3 of that video. So here, for your extreme auditory pleasure, is Howie Day’s new song… “No Longer What You Require”, from his live performance at Annandale while on his Australian tour. It is, quite simply, beautiful. As I said up above, in the main post… it’s quite possibly the most excited I’ve been about Howie’s music in years.

Listen: Howie Day – No Longer What You Require (live performance of new song)

Seeing as there’s really no information out there about this song, I thought I might as well take the time to transcribe the lyrics from this performance… as up until now I’ve drawn a blank looking for any lyrics out there already. I’m pretty sure there are a few mistakes in the below, so please feel free to correct me in the comments and I’ll be sure to update the post accordingly.

Anyway, here you go… Howie Day, “No Longer What You Require” Lyrics

We had it all we were young lovers
We were full of trust and faith
And we were deadset on making it last forever
forever and a day
I recall it was fall last year when it started to die
Standing still as the temperature kills
The summer (?) that were keeping it alive
The days got colder so I held you closer
In an effort to save us some time
Almost like the wind came and ruined the spark
And left us in the dark

But hey,
I could have told you that i loved you and stayed
Around to kindle the fire
But I was late
On my returning now you’ve lost all faith
And I am a liar
I’m no longer what you require

See I still feel you at night
Turning in the sheets when I turn out the light
It’s how a ghost,
The ghost of your first love
Won’t ever leave you until the day that you die
I won’t have any doubt leaving her behind
Even if the choice was the right one
It was a good thing staring me right in the face
but I turned and ran away

But hey,
I could have told you that i loved you and stayed
Around to kindle the fire
But I was late
On my returning now you’ve lost all faith
And I am a liar
I’m no longer what you require

Back then the days were so much faster
we were young, stubborn and in love with disaster
And no, you cant come back even if you try
You better just forget and won’t you close the door on me
Coz it’ll never be the same
It’ll never be the way it was before

But hey,
I could have told you that i loved you and stayed
Around to kindle the fire
But I was late
On my returning now you’ve lost all faith
And I am a liar
I’m no longer what you require
Well hey,
I could have told you that I loved you and stayed
Around to kindle the fire
But I was late
On my returning now you’ve lost all faith
In the dying light
I’m no longer what you require
I’m no longer what you require

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Death Cab for Cutie, live at the Tivoli in Brisbane


Unfortunately, and in keeping with the general lack of time around these parts lately, this post might need to be a bit short. But on Friday night, I saw one of my top 5 shows that I’ve ever seen at the Tivoli… Death Cab for Cutie. And what a set it was.

An Horse
An Horse kicked off the night…

The night was started off by Brisbane band, An Horse, who I’m surprised that I hadn’t heard before. Suffice to say, this duo (Kate Cooper and Damon Cox) opened up the night in cracking form, and the crowd was very receptive to them. Although their music often comes across as a sheer wall of sound, after a while the intricacies of their tunes begins to dawn on you. And, just a personal observation here, but Damon was possibly one of the tightest drummers I’ve ever seen perform at The Tivoli. No shit.
Anyway, the main takeaway from these guys show? If you get a chance to see them play live, grab it with both hands. It was impressive to say the least.
I’ve included one of their tunes below, as a taster… their cracking tune, “Warm Hands“, which drew some major applause from the audience. You can tell from this track why these guys have opened for such bands as Tegan and Sara, and… of course… Death Cab.

Listen: An Horse – Warm Hands

Death Cab for Cutie at the Tivoli in Brisbane
Death Cab came onto the stage to thunderous applause…

When Death Cab for Cutie came on the stage, at around 9.30pm, the atmosphere was electric. The Tiv was pumping, and, on a side note, was containing easily the most amount of “OC fanbois and girls” that I’ve ever seen in one single point. The place was a literal sea of Seths and Summers.
Finally, the lights dimmed, and Gibbard et al entered the stage… and launched into, what else… but Bixby Canyon Bridge. From the first note, you could tell that the show was going to be special. Chris Walla was simply incendiary from the get-go, and Ben was bubbling with energy. Thanks to Gary taking along his new camera, we actually have quite a bit of footage from the night, and I’ve included the “Bixby Canyon Bridge” performance below.


Death Cab for Cutie opening the night at the Tivoli, with “Bixby Canyon Bridge”

Despite some early teething problems with the sound levels (as can be seen at times in the above video), Death Cab were the ever-consummate professionals, giving everything in their performance… and soon the problems were sorted out.

Death Cab for Cutie at the Tivoli in Brisbane
Death Cab wowing the crowd at the Tiv…

I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that – although this tour was ostensibly in support of their “Narrow Stairs” release – the set list that night consisted of songs from a number of their past releases, and wasn’t too heavily focused on their latest album. I have to admit, I blissed out a bit at one point (as I am wont to do at gigs), so instead of a breakdown of each song’s performance, here’s the band’s set-list from the night (with the track’s album included in parenthesis):

Death Cab for Cutie, live at the Tivoli in Brisbane, 22 August 2008 Setlist

1. Bixby Canyon Bridge (Narrow Stairs)
2. The New Year (Transatlanticism)
3. Why You’d Want to Live Here (The Photo Album)
4. Crooked Teeth (Plans)
5. Long Division (Narrow Stairs)
6. Grapevine Fires (Narrow Stairs)
7. A Movie Script Ending (The Photo Album)
8. Company Calls (We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes)
9. Title Track (We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes)
10. Soul Meets Body (Plans)
11. I Will Follow You Into the Dark (Plans)
12. I Will Possess Your Heart (Narrow Stairs)
13. Cath… (Narrow Stairs)
14. No Sunlight (Narrow Stairs)
15. Sound Of Settling (Transatlanticism)
16. Marching Bands of Manhattan (Plans)

Encore

17. Your Bruise (Something About Airplanes)
18. Title and Registration (Transatlanticism)
19. 405 (We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes version)
20. Your Heart is an Empty Room (Plans)
21. Transatlanticism (Transatlanticism)

Highlights of the night, for me? Well, apart from the cop-out answer of “Everything!”, I’d have to say that I went into the night hoping to hear 3 songs; “Cath…“, “I Will Follow You Into The Dark“, and “405“… and each of those songs were simply amazing. Particularly the tender “I Will Follow You Into The Dark”, which was dedicated to opening band “An Horse”, and had the entire crowd singing along with each and every syllable.


Death Cab for Cutie performing “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” live at the Tivoli.

Following that? The closing number of “Transatlanticism”. To be honest, it’s never been one of my favourite tunes, but the performance that night was simply electric. The energy and passion of the band was, quite simply, astounding. When Ben started plaintively crying “I need you so much closer!“, there truly was a feeling that something special was happening there that night… and we were carried away in a wave of emotion, riding Death Cab’s anger, pain, love and passion all in one movement. It’s a song that I’ll remember for a while, of that I have no doubt. Here it is, below.


Death Cab closing the night at the Tiv with a killer performance of “Transatlanticism”

Anyway… sorry there isn’t more detail in this post, but the problem with seeing a show on Friday, and then not posting until Monday due to being away from the computer is that you forget the small details. All that is left is that overwhelming, all-consuming feeling that you witnessed something special that night, and that – no matter how hard you try – you won’t be able to communicate just how it felt to someone else, unless they’d been there.

Yeah. That pretty much sums it up quite nicely, actually.

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Jason Mraz, live at the Tivoli in Brisbane


It’s been a while, I know… but hey, as some would say, “Shit got real“, you know? And, unfortunately, blogging has had to take a second seat lately. Hopefully, this won’t be the case for too much longer… but for the next week, at least, things will continue to be pretty quiet around here.
That said, I had to make an exception and put up a quick post today to let you know that last night, I managed to catch a cracking set from Jason Mraz, live at the Tivoli in Brisbane.

Those of you who have read this blog for a while will recall that this is the 2nd time this year that I’ve seen Jason play at the Tiv… see my past post here: Mr A to the Z and Friends… at the Tivoli.
This show was slightly different, in that instead of just being Jason, Toca, Ian and Mike, this tour saw Jason Mraz bring his his entire band with him; including the three-piece horn section (the Grooveline Horns), which I was greatly excited about.

The night was opened by Melanie Horsnell. Now, I have to admit, I haven’t heard Melanie play before, but I was really impressed with her set. She has this really vulnerable, emotive voice, that sucks you right in.

Melanie Horsnell
Melanie Horsnell, live at the Tivoli

 (Side note: yes, that was taken with my now-legendary crappy phone camera. The good news is, I managed to get some better quality pics from my wonderful sister, so those following in this post are hers. Ignore the date and time-stamps on her pics though… those are incorrect on her camera)

Melanie played a great set, and was well-received by the crowd. Her new album, “Complicated Sweetheart”, will be available from September 6, and it just might be one that I check out. If you’re after folk blended with 60s pop, then you probably should too.

Listen: Melanie Horsnell – I Just Want Some Love

At around 9.30, Jason Mraz took the Tivoli stage, and the excitement was palpable… not least of which from my sister (hi Cara!), who hadn’t seen Jason perform live before.
There was definitely a party mood in the Tiv last night; so, in contrast to the last time I saw Jason play – which included many of his slower numbers – last night was almost solely made up of upbeat, party numbers… and the crowd responded in kind.

Tivoli packed to the rafters
The Tivoli, packed to the rafters to see Jason Mraz perform live.

Jason Mraz, with the full band in tow, came out and opened the set with the prerequisite “Remedy“, and the crowd absolutely exploded. Combining “The Remedy” with a medley of “Wonderwall“, the crowd was jiving from the get-go. Quickly following on from that opening number, the band launched directly into “Make It Mine“, the opening track from Jason’s “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things” album – the album they were promoting on this tour –  and I’ve got to say… although I’ve been undecided about this song in the past, seeing it live absolutely put those concerns to bed for me… it was a killer tune, that really loosened up the crowd.

Jason Mraz and full band

Following on from “Make It Mine“, Jason kept the energy high will the tune, “Live High“; one of my favourite tracks off the new album, and one that I highlighted back in this past post: “Mr A – Z… yes I’m excited“. I’d highly suggest that you check that post out, if only for the killer La Blogotheque video of Jason performing “Live High” live.
After “Live High“, it was time for “Only Human“… and it was particularly during this track that it him me again (as it always does, when I watch Jason live)… the guy has one of the most powerful live voices that I’ve ever heard. It can be soft, tender, or hard-hitting… but whatever it is, it never loses that purity and clarity that Jason is so well known for.

Also – and anyone who was there last night, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong here… because I did kind of “bliss out” on the music at points, and I might have this wrong here – but at one point, the Grooveline Horns came out into the crowd, under the cover of darkness, and I think it was during “Only Human”. Suddenly, the spotlights came on, and there were the three of them, spread out around the Tivoli, amongst the crowd… and I can’t tell you what a great moment it was. As with most Jason Mraz shows… it really made you feel a part of the action; as if this was a collaborative effort, where everyone was involved.

Grooveline Horns in the crowd
Grooveline Horns in the crowd

After “Only Human”, the rest of the band headed off the stage, and Jason and Toca did a stripped-down version of “A Beautiful Mess“… and it was simply beautiful. Melanie then was called back on stage, for Jason and her to perform”Lucky“… and she excelled herself as a makeshift Colbie Callait.

Jason And Melanie
 Jason and Melanie perform “Lucky”

Following on from that, things were picked right back up with “If It Kills Me“, which had all the couples in front of us swooning and swaying with much love… Jason would have been proud.

After that, the band performed a birthday jam for all of those celebrating birthdays that night. It might be 2 weeks early, but Happy Birthday Cara!
The crowd was again called on to participate, with orchestrated dancing during the “impossible-not-to-groove-to” tune, “The Dynamo of Volition”. Seeing everyone putting their hands up, and giving high-fives and high-tens in unison… it was a great moment, and one that you would be hard-pressed to find at many other gigs apart from a Mraz night. As Jason said:

“Don’t let your mind stop you from having fun.You know, you might have been at home, trying to figure out what to wear tonight. If you’re a girl, you might have tried on five pairs of shoes. And you come here, thinking you’re going to tear it up! But as soon as you walk in suddenly you think… be cool.
Don’t. Don’t let your mind tell you what to do. Just have fun, in the now. Don’t worry about what other people think. Besides, it’s dark, you don’t even know these other people. So I want to see those hands in the air!”

And everyone certainly responded… the place was, as one… heaving. And it was awesome.

High 5 all round
The crowd at the Tivoli, waving theirhands in the air like they just didn’t care.


Following on from that, the band launched into the song which probably recieved the loudest roar of the night, “I’m Yours“. Again, love was flowing in the Tiv last night, that was for sure. Mraz and Co. then segued directly into the Bob Marley classic, “Three Little Birds“, and then finally ended off the set with the cracking tune, “Butterfly“.

…


Except, of course, that wasn’t the end. If I was slightly disappointed by the lack of older material during the show, the obligatory encore more than compensated in that department. Opening the encore with the opening track from the “Mr. A-Z” album, “Life is Wonderful“, this could perhaps have been my favourite performance of the night… which is strange, as it’s by far my favourite tune from Jason’s albums.
Following in the “older tunes” vein, the band then launched into “No Stopping Us“, from the “Waiting for My Rocket to Come” album.
And the song to close the entire night? What else? What could be more perfect than “Geek In The Pink“… nothing, that’s what.

 

And that sums up what the entire night was. Perfection.
Thanks again to Jason Mraz and his Superband for allowing us to be a part of it.

Listen: Jason Mraz – Geek In The Pink

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I think I would faint…

Ryan AdamsOasis

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals and Oasis are going to be doing a short run of Canadian and American shows together.

From Oasisnet:

Oasisinet are happy to announce that Oasis will be performing a short run of Canadian and US shows with special guest Ryan Adams and the Cardinals prior to their headline appearance at the Virgin Festival Toronto on the 7th September.
The band will play their first live show in over two years at Seattle’s WaMu Theater on the 26th August before crossing the border to play shows in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

And the Ticketmaster page that broke the news.

You lucky, lucky American and Canadian bastards. My jealousy knows no bounds.

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G Love and Ozomatli… at the Tivoli.

So after a few days off down the coast, I know this entry is popping up late; but on Sunday evening, I accomplished one more of my “band goals”, with a night at the Tivoli. This entry is being composed on the long train back to Brisbane… so excuse some grammatical errors, which I have no doubt will pop up.
Thanks to some free tickets from Chugg Entertainment, a few of us were lucky enough to see G Love and Special Sauce, with supporting act Ozomatli rock the hell out of Brisbane. All in all, it was a great night, so I’ll jump straight in.

(Aside: One more apology for the terrible pictures from a crappy phone and lack of notes including set-list. The G Love night kind of took me by surprise, so I wasn’t exactly kitted out…)

Ozomatli

Ozomatli
Ozomatli performed an incendiary set at the Tivoli in Brisbane

Arriving sometime just before 9pm, we were lucky to get in just as Ozomatli were starting up. Unfortunately this means that we got there too late to see local opening act, Shoebox. I haven’t seen these guys before, but if anyone was there for their set, please drop a comment below and let us know how it went.
Unfortunately the Tiv wasn’t exactly packed to capacity on Sunday; in fact, they even closed off the upper section… there were those kind of numbers. I suspect that a lot of that had to do with the fact that Bluesfest was on the same weekend, and both G Love and Ozomatli had performed there the night before. That said, those who didn’t make it out that night truly missed something special. So while the numbers weren’t huge, we were still greeted by an absolute sea of fans, all grooving to Ozomatli’s beats, when we walked through the front doors.

Ozomatli at the Tivoli
Ozomatli killing it at The Tivoli

While I’ll be the first to admit I’ve never been a huge fan of Ozomatli’s recorded work, seeing them live certainly changed my opinion of them. There is this ridiculously infectious feel to their live performance; a sheer joy that spreads from them, on the stage, throughout the crowd and the venue. The sheer numbers up on stage ensures an inevitably chaotic feel to the set; but it’s a chaos of abandon and fun; of friendship and sharing. Ultimately, Ozomatli started one of the best conversations I’ve ever seen between an artist and it’s fans. And it was great. Within the first 30 seconds of arriving, we were jiving to their killer beats.

Ozomatli at the Tivoli
Ozomatli had the crowd jiving to their tunes

Performing mainstays such as “After Party”, “Can’t Stop” and “City of Angels”, Ozomatli had the crowd constantly moving. And – in one of the firsts for me at The Tivoli – as they reached the end of their set, members began climbing off the stage, taking their instruments with them, and leading the crowd on a merry conga line around the venue. It really was like watching the Pied Pipers of Hamlin leading the children to a better place. And, as they ended their last song standing in the entrance hall of the Tivoli, it truly felt like we had entered that better place. If only for a fleeting moment, music did what all great music should do: broke down the walls.

And the people of the world say…
Oye Baby
Oye Mami
Donde Esta La Afterparty
– Ozomatli, “After Party”

Sheffer Bruton of Ozomatli
Sheffer Bruton after the set

After the set, I was lucky to catch up with trombonist Sheffer Bruton and snapped a picture of him with a friend (there you go Sophie, you made the blog). Although time was limited and there were only fleeting comments – after all, there were several scantliy-clad girl looking to make his acquaintance – the guy seemed really humble and gracious about everything.
Put it this way… I’m a fan.

Listen. Love. Support.

Listen: Ozomatli – After Party

G Love

G Love
G Love and Special Sauce put on an amazing show at the Tivoli in Brisbane


I think I’ve lost count of how many years I’ve been aching to see G Love perform live. Counting back to the first time my friend turned me onto his tunes, I can say that it’s – at least – over the 10 year mark.
G Love is, to me, one of the most complete musicians of my era. While his brand of blues and funk sometimes seems interminable to those who need their songs packaged into 3:30 min format, to me G Love hearkens back to a time when a blues man knew what he was talking about. When a blues man paid his respects to those who came before him, but produced more than homage; an innovator. And someone slightly out of step with time. All this may not seem obvious when seeing G Love from the outside; after all, he’s an easy-going guy, who’s songs often deals with frivolous topics. But I think underneath that there’s a wealth of knowledge and experience. In short, a hip, hip cat. And that’s G Love to a tee.

G Love at the Tivoli
G Love giving it to the Tivoli.

While the energy that Ozomatli instilled in the crowd seemed to dissipate somewhat when G came on stage, the set was no less incendiary. Opening up with a killer rendition of “Back of the Bus”, Garrett was definitely on it that night, as were the rest of the band. “Honour and Harmony” was probably the one song I wanted to hear most out of the set, and when it came on, it was sheer bliss. When a band like G Love and Special Sauce is on it, they are on it. It’s like a constant play between instruments; slick, flawless, and playful, these were guys who were jamming on a different plane. And, when “Holla!” came around, I’m pretty sure – at least, going by pretty much every girl in earshot – every girl within 5 miles of Garrett had decided that he was pretty much the sexiest guy ever. The fact that he was blowing a mean-ass harp throughout the night probably didn’t hurt matters much.

G Love and Ozomatli at The Tivoli
G Love and several members of Ozomatli up on stage

G Love then called up Raul, from Ozomatli, to join him for an outstanding, dulcet-toned performance of “Take You There”, and from then on, the crowd really did join in for a crazy trip… the band certainly had taken everyone there. From “Take You There”, the band then played a blistering “Hot Cookin’” – paying homage to blues in the best way, with a harmonica killing it. G Love and band then launched into possibly the highlight of the night for me. A medley of tunes, the band performed a line-up including “Blues Music”, Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side”, and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It?”. Going on for near to 15 minutes, I think this was the most contagious moment I have ever experienced at The Tivoli, bar none. The crowd was moving up and down, breaking crests in time with the beats; if I took one thing away from the night, it will be that special feeling during that performance. I think it will probably be a mainstay of my favourite “concert moments” for years to come.

A collection of the people
Who started it all
I reckon
I kept them
In my sock like money
Blues music…
– G Love, “Blues Music”

After that, Sheffer from Ozomatli was called back up to help perform what was undoubtedly the crowd favourite of the night, “Cold Beverages”. Again, a song that went near the 10 minute mark, it was jamming at its pure best. With the crowd still surging and yelling out the lyrics, it was the perfect way to close what can only be described as an incredible set.

G Love closes the set, solo
G Love closes the set.

Of course, there was an encore. Coming back onto the stage solo and seating himself upon a stool, G Love performed one more tune: “Still Hangin’ Around”. And as long as he can put on performances like Sundays, there’s no doubt that G Love’s fan will be hangin’ around for a long time to come.

Listen: G Love and Special Sauce – Back Of The Bus (live)

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Mr A to the Z and Friends… at the Tivoli.

So last night, I went to another show.

If I was to give you clues as to the show, I would probably say:

1) The performer absolutely wails on guitar.
2) The performer has probably the most pure voice you’ll ever hear. Able to leap and soar in ways uncommon in contemporary music.
3) The performer has some of the best grasp of wordplay this side of Speechwriters LLC.

Of course, by the third clue – and of course the title of the post – you would know that I’m talking about the one and only Jason Mraz. Last night, Jason performed at the Tivoli, along with opening acts Hayley Sales and Gregory Page. And man, was it a killer night.

Hayley Sales

Hayley Sales
Hayley Sales belted out and awesome set at the Tivoli in Brisbane

Hayley Sales opened up the night, at about 8pm. This was a tough slot, as most people there – me included – had not heard Hayley before, and a number of people seemed impatient to jump straight to Jason’s slot. So when Hayley started out with her first tune, the floor wasn’t exactly what you’d call packed. That all changed when her first chords struck out on the guitar.

(Aside: I have to apologise here. I didn’t manage to make notes for last night, as I did with my Jack Johnson recap, so I’m not 100% sure of the opening songs, or the order. I’m pretty sure that she started out with Jailcell Mind, but if anyone else was there feel free to correct me. Throughout this entire entry, I’m sure.)

Hayley has one of the most powerful voices I think I’ve heard in years. There’s a real versatility to it as well; one minute it can be a husky whisper, sexy as all hell… the next a powerful, intimidating force. She also has this really fun vibe up on stage; I think that while most people were a bit skeptical at first of this lone girl up on stage, after a few minutes under her sunny smile and contagious grooves, you couldn’t help but get into the joy of the set.

Hayley didn’t perform the entire set alone though. She called up Toca Rivera – the percussionist/singer from Jason’s band – to perform with her for about 3 or so songs. And she also called up Jason to finish the set, with an absolutely amazing performance of “Keep Driving“.

Hayley Sales, Jason Mraz and Toca Rivera - The Tivoli
Hayley, Jason and Toca perform “Keep Driving” at the Tivoli

(Aside #2: Excuse the “phone-camera” quality pictures. They look like that because… well… they were taken with a crappy phone).

The performance of “Keep Driving” had the entire crowd singing along. And anyone who was there will be able to attest to the fact that Hayley’s closing note, held with clarity and power, was undoubtedly one of the highest notes we’ve ever heard at the Tivoli. There was a shocked silence before outrageous clapping and cheering. Nice one Hayley.

Highlights? “Jailcell Mind”, simply because it took everyone by surprise. “Keep Driving”, for that stunning last note and great interplay between Jason and Hayley. And also the cracking tune, “Only What You Want“. All in all, a great set, and someone I’ll be sure to keep an eye on in the future.

Listen. Love. Support.

Listen: Hayley Sales – Only What You Want
Listen: Hayley Sales – Keep Driving

Gregory Page

Gregory Page - The Tivoli
Gregory Page performed perhaps one of my favourite sets at the Tivoli

Next up was Gregory Page. Now, unlike Hayley, I had actually heard of Gregory Page before. But I was unsure how his minimalist style would go down with this crowd. Gregory’s music is a strange creature; obviously there’s the well-known minimalist feel to it, but it’s a deceptive minimalism… there’s so much more going on under the surface that you sometimes feel you could drown in it.

I think some people were bewildered by Gregory, but these people were certainly in the minority, as there was a great feeling about his set. He opened with perhaps my favourite song of his, “Sleeping Dogs“. There’s a pain in this song that simply does not let you go, while at the same time an aching beauty to it. Sleeping Dogs was possibly my favourite song of the night, point-blank… all songs included.

“It’s so cold here, in my bed without my love
I cover my emotions, I’m half dead
And the hours laid as the memories still haunts me, and it’s tearing me apart
There are fireworks exploding in my heart”
– Gregory Page, “Sleeping Dogs”

Gregory Page and Jason Mraz at the Tivoli
Gregory Page and Jason Mraz at the Tivoli in Brisbane

Gregory also called Jason up for a tune. I learned later in the night that Gregory Page had actually given Jason Mraz his first break, when he invited Jason to open for him; and this long-time partnership was clear in their synergy that night. Truly, a great performance. There is a phone-quality vid of the performance; but I warn you: I include this here solely for those die-hard fans who need to see this kind of thing. The sound and picture quality is terrible, so skip this if you aren’t one of those die-hards. The song only actually begins in earnest around 1:00 in.

Highlights? Obviously the aforementioned “Sleeping Dogs”, and the stunning “Knife in My Chest“. While I’m sure that Gregory’s music is not for everyone, he certainly has a stalwart fan in me.

Listen. Love. Support.

Listen: Gregory Page – Sleeping Dogs
Listen: Gregory Page – Knife In My Chest

Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz performed to a great crowd at the Tivoli.

By the time Jason and the full band made it onto the stage, the crowd was absolutely rabid. Launching straight into a killer rendition of “Mr Curiosity“, Jason had them eating out of his hand from the get-go. The thing that always astounds me about Jason, apart from the stunning wordplay of course, is the clarity in his voice. There is a purity there that I find hard to give a comparison point; simply because there is no comparison. This is a voice that truly can fly at the drop of a hat. And it never gets any less amazing. And Jason showed it off in fine form with this song, slipping between operatic and playful towards the end. It really was a great way to start off the set.

Jason Mraz and band at The Tivoli in Brisbane
Jason Mraz and band at The Tivoli in Brisbane

About 3 songs in, Jason and band launched into “Cannabis College“, and of course the crowd exploded. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a live show where this song hasn’t had the entire joint jumping. Funniest point of the night? When the dude next to me leaned in to his mate – with about 30 seconds of the song left – and said to him: “This song is hilarious mate. It’s all about smoking weed!!“. Thank you, Captain Obvious, for the hilarity that ensued.
Of course, that excitement was only carried through when the obligatory, “The Remedy” made it’s appearance.

The rest of the set was, as usual, polished brilliance. From the tender rendition of “Love For A Child“, through to the duets with Hayley, and later Gregory, the night was a true conversation between artists and audience.

My friend managed to snag a few seconds of “Sleep All Day” on his phone… although it’s only 58 seconds of the song, I’ve included it below as the sound and image quality is far better than the clip I posted above; that, and also it’s simply a cracking tune that went down a storm on the night.

Again; highlights of the set? Tough to say, but if pushed I would say the following songs were standouts, for me at least:

“Mr Curiosity”, “Love For A Child”, “Tonight, Not Again“, “Sleep All Day”, “Live High” (which I posted a video of here), and the closer, “I’m Yours“, which also went into medley including Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”, and it’s refrain of, “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘coz every little thing gonna be alright!”.

It certainly seemed that, at the end of the night, everyone agreed that everything was, in fact, more than alright. It was perfection. The only thing that I was hoping for, that never transpired, would have been a performance of “The Dream Life of Rand McNally“. But hey, you can’t have everything.

Thanks Jason and Co, for sharing the night with us. It was awesome being involved.

Listen: Jason Mraz – I’m Yours (live)
Listen: Jason Mraz – Dream Life of Rand McNally (live)

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Jack Johnson and Friends… at the Brisbane Riverstage.

As mentioned yesterday, on Sunday I headed across to the Brisbane Riverstage, for an evening with Jack Johnson, Matt Costa, and Will Conner. And – despite my longtime love affair with Jack Johnson, and my (extremely) tenuous connection with him via my friend Farryl Purkiss (Farryl and Jack once composed a song together, a fact that all of us local musos took pride in repeating… every chance we got) – this was to be my first time actually seeing him perform live.

Well, ok, that’s not strictly true. I had seen him perform live once before, with Ben Harper on his “Both Sides of the Gun” tour of 2007. In fact, it was at the very same stage, the Brisbane Riverstage. Jack was invited on stage to join Ben for a song, and, while for the life of me I can’t remember which tune it was now, I’m fairly certain it was for their rendition of “High Tide or Low Tide”. However, this was to be my first time watching him perform his own set, at his own concert. And I was certainly not disappointed.

There’s a lot to get through from the night, so I’ll just jump right in…

Will Conner and David Rastovich

Will Conner
Local boy Will Conner definitely impressed…

“We don’t need more stuff,
Just need each other and that’s enough”
– Will Conner, “Stuff”

As the sun started setting over the Riverstage, the first act came onto stage: Will Conner and David Rastovich. While I’d heard “Rasta” before, this was my first time hearing Will Conner, and I was really impressed. A local boy – well, Byron Bay local, anyway – I was surprised that I hadn’t heard much about Will before. I mean, he’s also apparently toured with one of my absolute musical crushes, Tristan Prettyman, so it really was surprising.
Will’s tunes are pretty much what you would expect for an opening act for Jack. Laid-back, coastal tunes, which are extremely easy to groove to. Underneath, there’s a strong eco-conservation focus – in fact, this was true throughout the entire night – that was perfectly complemented by Will’s plaintive voice and Rasta’s awesome percussion. On that note, David Rastovich plays some of the best “cheek percussion” I’ve ever heard. Seriously.

Crowd at the Brisbane Riverstage
Crowd at the Brisbane Riverstage, as the sun was setting

“Is it easy to change the world?
Where do we sign up, to help change the world?”
– Will Conner, “Herd”

Perhaps the highlight of the set, for me at least, was Will’s tune, “Home”, describing Byron Bay. It’s a song that simply gets in your head. With it’s refrain of “Home is where I started from/And home is where I wanna be when I get old”, and imagery that I could really relate to, I was sold on this talent. While the recorded version has a fairly tame harmonica solo, in the live version Will was blowing an absolutely mean harp. Here’s to hearing more of this from Will.

Jack Johnson, Dave Rastovich & Will Conner
Dave Rastovich, Will Conner & Jack Johnson

Another high point of the set was when Jack Johnson was called up on stage to join both Will and David Rastovich for a medley of “Plastic Jesus” and “ Fall Line”. I was disappointed that they didn’t go into “Spring Wind”, as I was expecting, but it was still a great moment. The three seemed to have a real synergy up on stage, which was absolutely awesome to witness.

Below, the song, “Home”, by Will Conner. Listen. Love. Support.

Listen: Will Conner – Home

Matt Costa

Matt Costa
Matt Costa performed an incendiary set at the Riverstage

Next up on the bill was Matt Costa. Now, I’ve been a big fan of Matt Costa since the days I first heard his EP with “Astaire” on it, back in (I think) 2003, so I was pretty excited to see him perform live, as it was another first for me.
I think the one thing I was most surprised by was the absolute abandon with which Matt seems to play. From the first song, “Yellow Taxi”, with those opening lines of “Can you spare some conversation?” you could tell that the night with Matt was going to be interesting.
I don’t know what it was, but there seemed to be an underlying anger behind his performance on Sunday night. Sure, it was tempered in some songs – most notably in his performance of “Astaire”, which was as tender a rendition than I’ve ever heard – but the remainder seemed full with an energy that I didn’t expect from Matt.

“You gave me your word
Then you flew like a bird
Never looking back”
– Matt Costa, “Ballad of Miss Kate”

One song where this was most visible – and most welcome – was an absolutely incendiary version of “Ballad of Miss Kate”. Performed with more force than I’d heard before, the song was certainly a major highlight of the night for me, and I’ll remember it for a long time to come.

Following that was “Mr Pitiful”, which the crowd went absolutely crazy for. With Matt at the keyboard, jiving around as he pounded out the chords, he had thousands of people eating out of his hand, and clamouring for more. And rightly so. It’s a killer tune, and if the conversation around me was anything to go by, certainly gained Matt a lot of new supporters that night.
Next up? “Behind the Moon”. I can’t say much here. It was the one song (apart from “Astaire”) that I was really, truly praying he would play. He did. And it was everything I’d hoped for. Absolute bliss on my part. The problem was, it was so much bliss, I kind of blessed out after that, so the rest of the set passed in a blur for me.
I can say that, while I wasn’t previously a fan of “Cigarette Eyes”, I am now. “Lilacs” also was a cracking tune, and the closing song, “Emergency Call” went down extremely well, with more than a few people in the crowd yelling out “Doctor!” along with Matt… a perfect way to close a stellar set.

Matt Costa
Matt Costa on the Brisbane Riverstage

I was torn on which song to include for Matt, but ended up deciding upon “Ballad of Miss Kate”, from his “Elasmosaurus” EP. Listen. Love. Support.

Listen: Listen: Matt Costa – Ballad of Miss Kate

Traditional Blessing

Traditional Blessing
Before Jack came on, there was a traditional blessing of the concert.

After Matt’s set, and before Jack came on, there was the traditional blessing of the concert by a representative of the original aboriginal owners. I’ve been to countless concerts at the Riverstage before, but it was the first time I had seen this take place, and I thought was a great sign of Jack’s respect towards the land’s traditional owners.
The speech went on for a while, and there were a few concert-goers that complained at first; but after a while and everyone settled down, it became a really great experience. People were celebrating the diversity of the land, but also paying tribute to the tradition; and it set a great atmosphere for Jack to enter…

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson performed to a sell-out crowd at the Brisbane Riverstage.

After much – and I mean, much clamouring from the crowd… these guys were rabid – Jack Johnson came on to a roar of screams that were picked up by the stage microphones and broadcast around the arena. I almost felt like I was at some kind of boy-band concert… it was that kind of squeal. Responding with a casual grin and shrug, Jack and Co. launched right into a tune from the new “Sleep through the Static” album, “Hope”. I thought that the tune would be an interesting indicator of the night ahead; the reception to the new album in Australia so far has been fairly mixed. The supposed “older” crowd of fans seem to hanker for the Jack of old, while there is a whole new crowd of fans who have been attracted to the music.

There shouldn’t have been a question in my mind.

The crowd absolutely erupted. And you knew it was going to be a great night. There was a girl in front of me with “Your shadow walks faster than you” plastered all over her arms in permanent marker, and I honestly thought she was going to start hyperventilating when those first chords rang out.
As if reading my earlier thoughts, instead of continuing with another track from the new album, the band then went straight into “The Horizon has been defeated”, from the “On and On” album. And on this track, I managed to see what I had been hoping we would be privy to…

Zach’s chicken dance. And man, was he on fine chicken dance form that night.

Jackie J
Jack, Adam, Merlo and Zach on the Brisbane Riverstage

After a great performance of “Staple it Together”, the song “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” had the crowd screaming out the lyrics along with Jack, and it was a great feeling. In all of the live performances I’ve seen of Jack captured on video, he always seems to have the same reaction: an incredulous shake of the head, a little joyous laugh, and then picking it back up again. And it was great to be a part of that.

After that, it was back onto the new material: the single, “Sleep through the Static”, and then the song “Go On”, which Jack mentioned he had actually written on a previous plane trip to Australia… which of course the crowd responded to. “Go On” is a tune that I really like. The bass line, the melody, and obviously the lyrics… they all combine to create this really powerful, uplifting track about letting go, and it’s one that I’m sure will stand the test of time when it comes to Jack’s track record in the future.

After that it was back to the older stuff; “Taylor” which – as always – had the crowd surging and grooving; “Bubble Toes”, and then “Wasting Time”, which was one of the highlights of the night for me. There was a real conversation going on between the band and the crowd, and it really felt as if everyone knew it.

After that Jack invited Matt Costa and his guitarist, Mitchell Townsend back onto stage for “Let It Be Sung”, which appears on the “Brokedown Melody” soundtrack. Really, this should have been obvious, considering that Zach, Jack and Matt were all together, but for some reason it hadn’t occurred to me. Needless to say, it was awesome. A lot of people have told me that they’ve struggled to find this song, so I’ve included it below.

After a Jane’s addiction cover (sorry, I’m not sure of the song’s title… if anyone else was there and knows, then drop a comment below), the band moved into “What You Thought You Need”, which Jack coupled with a very funny story about translation problems. Suffice to say, if a French speaking friend hadn’t stepped in, this song about Jack travelling in a van through Europe with his wife might have included a line claiming that a well-known “transvestite forest” held all the answers that Jack and his wife needed. Personally, I thought that would have been pretty cool, but each to their own. Heh.

Banana pancakes. Man, Zach excelled himself on this, his own song, not only in the absolutely killer accordian playing, but also in the dancing. The guy has this incredible energy about him that you simply cannot help but like; as if he’s the best friend you just haven’t met yet. So thanks, Zach, for giving that to us.

Jack Johnson & Co.
Jack Johnson & Co.

After “Banana Pancakes”, it was back to a new tune, with “Same Girl”, and then another trip back to the previous album with “Breakdown”. “Breakdown” was another song, much like “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing”, where the crowd almost drowned out the band with it’s singing.
Following that, there was a barrage of songs played, without much chatting between songs. The songs that followed were, “Good People”, “Monsoon”, “Mudfootball” (can I get a “hell yeah!”?), and “Flake” (again, another hell yeah. No matter how many times I’ve heard that song over the years, I needed to hear it live. And it was awesome). The final song, at least for the band as a whole, was the current single being played in Australia, “If I had eyes”… and the fact it was currently receiving a lot of airplay showed.
As Adam, Merlo, Zach and Jack raised their hands in goodbye, there was a real feeling of accomplishment in the air; and it was as if it had been accomplished together. And that’s always a sign of a great concert.

Jackie J & Co closing the set
Jackie J & Co closing the set



After the lights dimmed, and the obligatory “encore period” had elapsed, Jack came back on stage, solo, for an encore to close the show. With the backdrop changing to a “starry night”, Jack launched into a solo rendition of the first song off the new CD, “All at Once”. This song is easily my favourite off the new album. There’s just something that recalls the song, “It’s All Understood” to me. I mean, I have no idea why that is, and I can’t explain it at all, but it does. But I absolutely loved that song, so take it as a good thing.
After that was the bonus track off “Sleep Through The Static”, “Home”. I’m not a huge fan of this song, but my girlfriend is, and seeing as she was the one who managed to score us tickets, I was happy as a pig in mud with the choice.
Jack prefaced the next song by explaining that recently his son had asked him why everyone has a “mommy and daddy”. And Jack started to explain how a “mommy and daddy” have to create a child together. And when his kid, like all kids, pressed for more, Jack ended up spinning a long, nervous yarn about how we “multiply”.

“You’ve got to be careful when you’ve got good love,
‘Coz them angels will just keep on multiplying”
– Jack Johnson, “Angel”

And, as he said, really that’s what the song is about. Love and multiplication. The tenderness with which this song was performed had the crowd silent. And I mean silent. I’ve never heard that many thousands of breaths being held. But they were.

And then it was time to end. And what song did Jack end with? Another song for all the lovers out there, “Better Together”. It was a great song to cap off a great night, and a really positive feeling around the crowd.

Listen: Jack Johnson, Matt Costa and Zach Gill – Let it be Sung
Listen: Jack Johnson – All At Once

And that was it. So, for those keeping count out there, here’s the setlist:

  • Hope
  • Horizon has been defeated
  • Staple it together
  • Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
  • Sleep through the static
  • Go on
  • Taylor
  • Bubble Toes
  • Wasting Time
  • Let it be sung
  • Jane’s Addiction cover?
  • What you thought you need
  • Banana Pancakes
  • Same girl
  • Breakdown
  • Good people
  • Monsoon
  • Mudfootball
  • Flake
  • If I had eyes

Encore

  • All at once
  • Home
  • Angel
  • Better together


All in all, it was an amazing night. Will Conner and David Rastovich definitely started it off on a great note (heh, no pun intended), and Matt Costa and band carried that through. And then Jack and Co themselves… well, I think that in terms of my reaction to the night, they were labouring under a huge amount of pressure. After all, the problem with being a fan of a musician for years, yet never managing to see them live, is that the expectations are raised higher and higher, for years on end. The one quibble that I suppose I might have with the night, is that it might have been too polished. When Jack and Co were up there, it was as if you were listening to the CD. Which is great, but at a live concert you’re also hoping to see a bit more adaptation… a bit more jamming, really. But again, that might be those damn lofty expectations again.

So, that said, did they meet those expectations? Hell no.

They passed them.