Carrie Loves Concerts

Venue: Cafe du Nord / San Francisco

Date: May 27, 2012

I bought a ticket to this show as soon as they were available because I’d never seen Jon live and thought how perfect it was that it was on a Sunday night before a Monday holiday. I knew it would be a great way to close out my crazy month of concerts. I believe this was concert #6, and that doesn’t even include the radio show that got thrown in at the last minute. So yeah, it’s been a crazy, awesome month of music! 

About a week and a half ago I decided I really needed to see some baseball live. I usually can’t get involved with it until hockey ends and well, that ended for me much sooner than I planned so I guess it took me a while to get over but I finally bought tickets for several games.

When I bought the ticket for yesterday afternoon’s game, along with several others, I wasn’t really thinking that it was in Oakland and this concert was in San Francisco. For some reason I thought they were both in San Francisco and I’d just hang out in the city all day. Instead, I hung out in Oakland from about 11-4 then faced one of my biggest fears in life and crossed the Bay Bridge to get to San Francisco. Oy. Don’t ever let me do that again! [I think I just included this part of the story to explain why I’m wearing a Yankees shirt in the picture below.]

Once I got into San Francisco I made my way to the Castro where one of my favorite venues, Cafe du Nord, sits. It was a zoo! Once I finally found a place to park I decided I needed to treat myself to a great meal before the show so I journeyed the few blocks from my car to Chow, a place I’d eaten only once a couple of years ago and hoped my memory was right about how good it was. Thankfully, it was exactly the meal I needed to relax and reenergize me before the show.

As I was wrapping up my meal, checking Twitter and Facebook, wondering when my two friends were arriving for the show, I saw the following tweet:

I figured, why not? So, I tweeted back (twice since I left out a word the first time and was completely irritated with myself):

I paid my check, visited the little concert-goer’s room and started walking to the venue (only a block away). As I walked I got this tweet back:

I tweeted back that I was walking up the street then made my way past the line of folks that had already formed and tried to convince the door guy that I was supposed to be able to get in a bit early after he told me to wait in line. He wasn’t really buying it…told me something about liability and why he couldn’t let me in early…blah blah blah. I tried to show him the tweet but he didn’t have any interest. Finally, he went and got the manager and she said I could come in so he stamped my arm and opened the door. Inside I met Brian who got me hooked up with the merch and a few minutes later the crowd that I’d bypassed in line came in and I got to work. 

This is the second time I’ve done merch for an artist and it’s actually pretty fun because everyone’s excited to see what you have, and they’re excited for the show, and in general, they are super nice. My friends arrived shortly after the doors opened and we chatted while I sold a few cds and then the concert started.

The opening act was Bob Stamper who, it turned out, is also a member of Jon’s band. I’d not heard of him or his music before but really enjoyed it. He had good stage presence and interacted with the crowd well. He played for about 25 minutes and I made sure to buy one of his eps that I was also selling at the table because there were only a total of six and I was pretty sure they’d sell out. I was correct. They did. Everyone that came back to the table was excited about him and really enjoyed his set.

Jon’s set started a little before 9 and he played until about 10:15 I think. The only downside of doing merch is that you’re not up close and personal, as I usually tend to be at these small shows, but the sound is good no matter where you are and from the moment he sat down at the piano he sounded great. 

He had a full band with him, including Bob, and they were fantastic. There was a ton of energy coming from the stage, led by Jon’s own enthusiasm, and the crowd loved it. This was my first time seeing Jon live and he did not disappoint in any way. He can just flat out play the piano and his voice is awesome. I stood on the outside of the merch table and watched the whole show from the back and wished it wouldn’t end. Seriously, so good!

Aside from Jon’s great musicianship and his band’s general awesomeness, I also loved the stories he told between songs (mostly about how the songs came to be). Jon had a great rapport with the audience and seemed to really enjoy sharing the journey with us. As he was wrapping up the set I decided to sit back down and make sure I was ready for the post-concert merch sales and heard him say something about his merchandise and me and how he’d heard I was awesome. I’m certain I blushed as I waved to the part of the audience that could see me. One of my friends promptly posted this tweet:

Funny (you can see my reply to her underneath).

My favorite part of the whole set though was the two songs he played after that, just him on piano, sans band: Human and Indiana. And just…WOW. While the band was amazing and certainly made the show great I am pretty sure I could have just sat and listened to Jon sing and play piano for about six hours. Ah-Maz-Ing. Truly. I can say with certainty that I will never miss Jon on tour again. 

Once the show ended people started coming back to the table and now they all knew my name so that was pretty funny. The funnier part was when one person was like, “You know JJ Heller, right?” “Um, yes,” I said hesitantly. “How could you possibly know that?” Turns out he’s known her since 3rd grade and had seen some of my posts on her personal page. Small, tiny, little world. Jon’s fans were seriously so nice and it was fun to take their money and give them things in return. 

Jon came out after a few minutes and shook my hand and thanked me for helping then started signing and taking pictures with everyone. The venue started trying to close around 11 but he still had several people to sign for and my friends and I were still waiting too. Brian was fast in cleaning up the merch and was kind enough to let me have a cd (which I’d already downloaded but sometimes it’s cool to have the real deal) and a poster (which is what I hoped Jon would sign for me). 

When the last of the fans had gone Jon signed for my friends and for me then took a few more minutes and took pictures with us. He was clearly exhausted but so generous with his time and it was really a great night. If you love good music and people who can sing and play the piano, go see this man in concert! Just do it! You know you can trust me…

Until next time…

Date: May 11, 2012

Venue: Anthology / San Diego

First off, let me just say that this venue is awesome. I think it’s one of the swankiest places I’ve ever been to for a concert. We sat in real chairs at real tables and had a real server…crazy, right? If I lived in San Diego I’d never have any money because I would be at this venue on a regular basis. Very, very cool.

Madi Diaz opened the show and played a short and very mellow set. I’d listened to a little of her music online and honestly hadn’t really decided if I liked it or not. I will say that it’s not my favorite but she sounded great, could definitely play the guitar and had a good rapport with the small crowd. 

She had good stage presence and clearly felt comfortable, which is always nice to see from an up and coming artist. I hadn’t expected her songs to be so low key and she even remarked that she was feeling pretty mellow after driving along the coast most of the afternoon. I’ll be interested to see if there’s a difference when I see her open for Rachel next Friday in San Francisco.

All in all I enjoyed her set and will definitely listen to some more of her music. 

Rachel’s set had a lot more energy and as usual she was very entertaining. I don’t see how anyone could not be happy after seeing her show. She’s got a great smile and oozes fun from every part of her body. From her opening number, Work of Art - the theme to the ABC Family show Jane by Design - to her most famous cover, Gin & Juice, to her closing cover of You Can’t Hurry Love, she sounded great. Craig, her fantastic drummer, provided strong support and you can just tell how much fun they have playing together. 

Rachel’s got great stage presence and is really good at engaging the audience, even getting folks to sing along more than once. It was a pretty mellow crowd (maybe because we were all sitting down and basically lounging) but people were definitely into the show and seemed to be having a good time.

This is the fourth time I’ve seen Rachel this year but all three other times she was an opening act so it was really nice to see her play a full set as the headliner. I especially loved her cover of Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. When she started playing I was like, “Is that what I think it is?” It sounded really good. 

I was impressed that both Rachel and Craig remembered me from the two Matt Nathanson shows back in April. They are both so nice and seem genuinely excited to meet/see their fans. I love that and I loved this show! I’m so glad I get to see it again in a week! Here are a few pics to give you a little flavor of the evening…

Madi

Rachel

Craig, Rachel and Me

Date: May 5, 2012

Venue: Fox Theater / Oakland

I went back and forth about whether or not to buy tickets for this show when it was first announced. I’ve liked Snow Patrol’s music for a number of years but wasn’t sure I loved it enough to see a whole concert…especially after already having two concerts earlier in the week. But, as fate would have it, a friend won tickets so I got to go for free! Thanks Raquel!

We were a little bummed that the opener for the Saturday show was NOT Ed Sheeran - that was certainly part of the draw originally. But, since I was lucky enough to see part of his Alice Radio Lounge show on Thursday, I felt okay about him not being there. 

This was my first visit to The Fox Theater and it was spectacular! What an amazing venue. I definitely want to go back and see another show there. And really, Oakland just wasn’t too bad. I mean I don’t want to roam around there by myself at night but I never felt unsafe and got to and from the venue in less than an hour each way. Yes, I may have exceeded the speed limit a bit. Anyway…on to the show!

A band called Russo - not sure if I’m spelling that right or not - opened and I could see that they had some talent but they weren’t my favorite. They’re just getting started and I’ll definitely be interested to see how they improve. There were just two in the band, a keyboardist and a guitarist and they switched places a couple of times. Only one of them sang though and he did have a good voice. I just wasn’t a huge fan of the actual songs. They played for about 20 minutes then vacated the stage for the real show.

Snow Patrol’s entrance music started at about 8:50 and they took the stage a few minutes later and played for almost two full hours. And they were GREAT! They had tons of energy and sounded so, so good. We’d decided before going in that we didn’t feel much like standing so we grabbed a table in the back and I’m totally regretting it now. I wish I’d been up close and personal but the sound throughout the theater was really good and I heard every note they played and sang.

I had no idea how many people were actually IN Snow Patrol, and I’m sure they added musicians for the tour, but there were a LOT of people up there playing a lot of different instruments. But let’s face it, it’s all about the lead singer’s (Gary) voice and wow, did he sound amazing. And he was funny and entertaining and even gave us a nice shot of his abs when he pulled his shirt up for some reason. Oh, and they’re Irish so, you know, that doesn’t hurt matters at all.

They played all the big hits that have been on the radio and some that I didn’t know as well, or at all, but fell in love with just the same. Their live performance of Run - my favorite of their songs - was spectacular and I hope someone, somewhere, got that on video.

I had a great time at this show and definitely won’t miss them again. I need to go back and put some more of their music on my iPod because I don’t have nearly enough. Here are a few shots from my seat in the back of the room…

Date: May 3, 2012

Venue: The Independent / San Francisco

I discovered Andrew Belle’s music a little over a year ago and have since bought both of his albums and his recent EP because I absolutely love his voice and the songs are very moving. When I saw he was playing in San Francisco I was very excited. He was opening for a singer named Katie Herzig whom I’d never heard of. I listened to some of her music online and wasn’t a huge fan but bought the concert ticket to see Andrew anyway.

Andrew took the stage nearly 30 minutes later than the scheduled start, which was a little annoying but you never know what’s going on backstage and I was chatting with some nice folks in the crowd so it wasn’t that terrible. 

He played his first song solo and it was great. His voice sounded really good and he can definitely play the guitar. After that three other musicians came onto the stage - drummer, electric guitar player and bass player - and I was surprised that he traveled with a band. He let us know a few songs in that they were actually members of Katie’s band and I thought it was pretty cool that they were playing for him too. He played the rest of his set with them and it definitely made for a richer experience. 

This was the first time I’d seen Andrew and really didn’t know a lot about him but I was a little disappointed in his interaction with the crowd. He never introduced himself, which I thought was weird since a lot of people had no idea who he was, and then at one point he actually called out the folks in the back and on the side that were talking. It was sort of in jest but he seemed kind of annoyed that they were talking through his set when some of us had come to see him. I’m not sure if anyone took it badly or not but it just didn’t sit right with me.

I had no plans of staying to see Katie since the music I’d heard online didn’t please me and those thoughts were solidified when she came out to sing on Andrew’s final song. It was a song they recorded together and I just didn’t like her voice. It’s not that she can’t sing, because she can, it’s just not my style of music. 

When they finished I went back to the merch table so I could have Andrew sign something and meet him and maybe take a photo and again, I have to say I was a little disappointed. Two girls I’d been chatting with earlier were there too and one of them took a picture with him but he barely talked to them and didn’t seem completely engaged. I was really surprised because they told me they’d seen and met him a couple of times before. I stepped up and told him how much I enjoyed his set and he did say thank you. I then told him I already owned all his music but wanted to buy a copy of the ep so he could sign it. I handed him the money and I don’t know, the whole thing just seemed weird. He did sign it and we did take a photo but I guess I was just surprised that he didn’t interact more. Maybe he’s just shy and I’m sure he was tired but I’ve been to a lot of concerts and met a lot of artists and he just didn’t seem as excited about it as most of them have been. I don’t know. Maybe it was just an off night.

Like I said, the music was great and that was the real point of going. I do hope I get to see him again someday.

Here are a few pics of the evening…

Date: May 2, 2012

Venue: The Fillmore / San Francisco

I’d never seen James Morrison before tonight but I’d always liked his music. Weirdly, I discovered this week, I didn’t actually OWN any of it. I remedied that quickly and have been listening pretty much non-stop. I was VERY excited to see this show.

When I heard the opening band was HoneyHoney I cringed. I saw them open for Matt Nathanson several years ago and they were, in a word, bad. I will say that they were better tonight but I really didn’t enjoy them. I’m not completely sure what genre of music they fall under but whatever it is, I don’t think I’m a fan of it. It borders on country, and maybe a little bluegrass? I’m just really not sure. The guitarist was actually very personable, as was the lead singer, but I kinda felt like she was trying a little too hard. I never saw the drummer until he stood up at the end and the bass player looked bored for most of the set. He was wearing a San Francisco Giants shirt though, so I’m giving him a pass. Anyway…I think they’re pretty good musicians but I just don’t think I like the lead singer’s voice, in addition to the style of music, so for me, I was just happy when it ended. 

And then came James.

Wow.

He played for nearly 75 minutes straight then came back for a 2-song encore so his set was just about 90 minutes long. And it was 90 minutes of AWESOME. He had a ton of energy and I wasn’t sure he’d ever stop moving during the first song. He was all over the place, singing, smiling, reaching his hands into the crowd…genuinely excited to be there. And then he picked up the guitar…swoon! The man can play and his voice is just divine. And he doesn’t look too bad either. Oh, and that accent? Yes. That pretty much makes him perfect.

His energy was truly amazing and he had a great rapport with the crowd. He was very funny and I nearly died when he playfully dissed James Blunt’s “My Life is Brilliant” song. Seriously hilarious. I could have listened to him play for another two hours, easily. 

His band was also incredibly talented. He had two backup singers that could absolutely sing and they didn’t overpower or get in the way, just added to. The guitar player was very stoic but man could he play. So good. I couldn’t really see the bass player but he definitely sounded good and the drummer was great…and looked like someone’s dad. Kinda funny. I think my favorite person in the band was the keyboard player though. He was incredibly soulful and really drove a lot of the music. 

This was definitely one of the best shows I’ve seen and The Fillmore is just an amazing venue, which adds to the greatness of it. Well done James Morrison. Come back soon please!

When all was said and done and they’d kicked us out of the building we joined a small crowd near the tour bus and decided to wait for James to come out. And wait we did. I’m guessing it was 30-45 minutes but then he came out and signed and took pictures and did I mention he is AWESOME??? So, so nice.

This was an amazing night! Here are just a few pics to whet your appetite…

Date: April 28, 2012

Venue: HP Pavilion / San Jose

Wow. This show was A-MAZ-ING! Seriously. One of the best concerts I’ve been to in the last few years, and as most of you know, I’ve been to a lot. This was the third time I’d seen Coldplay and don’t get me wrong, the first two times were awesome, but there was something different about this show. There was more energy, more confetti, and some extremely awesome glowing bracelets. But really it seemed like Chris Martin was just having fun. Lots and lots of fun. And that made all the difference.

There were two opening bands that I could have done without. The first, a girl group called The Pierces, were very badly mixed and their sound was seriously hurting my ears. The band was too loud and that made them sing louder and it came out more like screeching in some cases. I think they could probably sing but it was pretty hard to tell and I just really didn’t like their style of music. It seemed very late 60s/early 70s and that’s just not my favorite genre.

The second band was called Metronomy and they were an electronic sort of band. Their first song wasn’t bad but one song is about all I can take of electronica music. And then there were these lights they all had attached to their chests. Every now and then they would glow and it was just really distracting and freaky. With the exception of the drummer who should really never sing again, their voices were fine. Again, it just wasn’t really my kind of music.

Once Coldplay hit the stage the night shifted into awesome and for the next hour and 45 minutes it just kept getting better. No one was exactly sure what the bracelets they gave us on the way in were going to do but here’s basically what happened:

They went from this:

To this:

And looked like this inside the arena:

It was seriously one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen at a concert. I have no idea how they made this magic happen and maybe I don’t want to know. After all, sometimes you should just believe in the magic.

They played all their big hits and I believe they hit every album but certainly played more from the last two, which I love. It hadn’t even occurred to me that they hadn’t played Fix You when they came out for the encore and I also hadn’t realized that they hadn’t played Every Teardrop is a Waterfall. That’s what they closed with and if possible they had even more energy on that song than they did when they started the show. It was seriously one of the most alive shows I’ve seen, if that makes any sense. Chris Martin just keeps getting better and the rest of the band sounded amazing.

You can always tell when a band has been together a long time. They just know each other so well and you could tell they all have a lot of fun. I wish I would have gone to both nights of their stay in San Jose but I’m glad I least got one. 

Thanks Coldplay. You did not disappoint at any level.

A few more shots of the night…

Date: April 22, 2012

Venue: Adventure Christian Church / Roseville, CA

This was the 10th time I saw Third Day in concert and the only bad thing I can say, other than the fact that they didn’t play in the Bay Area, was that it wasn’t nearly long enough. I could seriously listen to Mac Powell sing for days on end. His voice is so pure and so anointed and so amazing. There was no question in my mind that this concert would be great. Third Day is always great. But I’ll get back to them in a minute.

Going to a concert in a church is always a bit of a shock after going to so many shows in clubs and arenas. The whole vibe is different and since this show was on a Sunday it was kinda like actually going to church. We had great seats right up front and when the usher led us there he told us that’s where he and his family sat every Sunday morning. That’s not something you normally hear at a concert.

Trevor Morgan kicked off the show and I’d only heard of him because of Third Day’s online promotion of him. He’s been in the business for a long time - writing, playing for other people - but only recently put together a solo album. He was actually quite good! I would liken him to a lot of the independent singer/songwriters I’ve been listening to and seeing live over the last few years. He played an acoustic guitar and his voice was strong. The songs weren’t my favorite but he was a great performer and should go far being out front instead of behind the scenes. He only played three songs and honestly, that was enough for me. I liked him but didn’t run right out to buy the album. Maybe I’ll listen a little more online and see if I like it more.

The second opener was Matt Maher who’d I never heard of before. He had a full band and they had a lot of energy. I think I probably should have heard of him since he’s been around several years and a couple of his songs did sound familiar. I thought he was really good, but definitely more of a worship leader than a performer. I was sitting there wishing I went to whatever church he might lead worship for not really thinking that it was a good concert. But he was good and the set was enjoyable, just a little too long for my taste.

Once Third Day took the stage I was more than ready and they did not disappoint. Mac Powell is so engaging with the audience and, as previously stated, has one of the best voices around. He also has a fantastic smile and you can’t help but smile. But Third Day is much more than just Mac’s great voice and guitar skills. The band is phenomenal and they clearly have a lot of fun together. The level of musicianship is incredibly high and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better overall band.

They played a lot from their last album, which came out about two years ago, and it’s not my favorite of their albums but the songs sounded great. I enjoyed their older stuff more and wished they would have played more of it but I get that you can’t play everything. Well, you could if you played for four hours but that doesn’t typically happen. 

I really enjoyed the requests-from-the-audience portion of the evening where they played shortened versions of a lot of songs on the fly, fumbling through a couple that they hadn’t done in quite a while. I so appreciate when bands do stuff like that and aren’t afraid to flub it a bit. Now, when I say they flubbed it, I mean they just had to pick around the notes a bit at the beginning to remember how it started, or Mac had to think a little harder about what the words were. They still sounded amazing and I was thinking how great it would be to have a whole night of requests where everything was impromptu.

My only disappointment of the night was that they didn’t play two of their big hits, Consuming Fire and Thief, and that they only played for a little more than an hour. I left wanting more, which maybe was the point. I can’t complain too much since I’ve been able to see them so many times over the years but I sure hope they play longer the next time I see them.

Here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure…

Trevor Morgan

Matt Maher

Mac Powell

Ty and Mark

Ty, Mac and Mark

Date: April 6, 2012

Venue: House of Blues / Anaheim

Well, I really didn’t think anything could be better than Wednesday night’s edition of this tour but I actually think tonight’s show was. Maybe it was because it was the last night of the tour but both Rachel and Matt seemed to pull out all the stops and really gave us a great show.

Rachel opened the show and was thoroughly entertaining despite some random keyboard issues. She joked in the beginning of the set that she was concerned about some potential foul play from Matt since it was the last night of the show and just like that, during the middle of the next song, the keyboard went out. And then it came back. And then it went out again. A tech guy came on to fix it but I’m still not convinced she wasn’t being played with. She weathered it extremely well though, laughing and smiling and continuing to play even when no sound was coming out. 

She played almost the same set she did in San Francisco and it seemed like it was going to be a little shorter until Andy Grammer showed up (she opened for his tour earlier in the year) and sat down and sang along with one of her songs. But then it got crazy. And awesome.

Andy stepped up and said how he and Rachel really just wanted to be rappers so they were going to have a little rap battle for us and I am here to tell you it was freaking amazing! Even Craig got in on the game and I couldn’t possibly declare a winner; or maybe I can. I think we, the audience members, were the winners because it was a super fun end to Rachel’s set and proved just how talented she is. 

Matt’s set started about 20 minutes later and despite sweating from head to toe in the venue, I was so ready for him to play. And as usual, he did not disappoint me. I just can’t say enough good things about him and honestly think tonight’s show may have been a little better than Wednesday’s. 

The set was quite a bit different from the Wednesday show in San Francisco, though he still played a lot from the last two albums. The older songs he played were mostly different, including a gorgeous rendition of I Saw, and he did a couple of additional covers, or pieces of covers, that he didn’t do the other night. And they were great. He’s such a great musician that he can pretty much play anything - so can his amazing band that was once again, fantastic! - and I love how much he loves the 80s. He covered Pretty in Pink and it was like stepping back in time - in a very good way.

He closed the show with Suspended, a favorite of mine, and it was beautiful and perfect with just him and his guitar. It wasn’t quite as good as Little Victories the other night, but that is my absolute favorite so it would have been impossible to top. Still, it was great and I can’t wait until I get to see him again.

So, until next time…

Andy Grammer and Rachel Platten - mid rap battle

Matt and his 12-string guitar … which I adore

I think this was my favorite shot of the night…

Date: April 4, 2012

Venue: The Fillmore / San Francisco

I’m just waking up after a fantastic night of music at The Fillmore - one of my absolute favorite venues. If you’ve never had the chance to see a show there, do it. Do it now! And have an apple for me while you’re there.

When Matt Nathanson cancelled his opening appearance for the Kelly Clarkson show I saw last week I was incredibly bummed. I knew an opening slot wasn’t going to be as good as a solo show was but he hadn’t yet announced this local date so I took what I could get. When he cancelled I decided that I had to do whatever I could to see his solo tour and bought tickets to the show in Anaheim (which takes place tomorrow). About a week later he announced this San Francisco date and I jumped on it. 

Earlier in the week Rachel Platten tweeted that she needed merchandise help for the show so I shot her an email and was all set to help. I got to the venue around 6 and got in touch with Craig, her drummer and friend, only to find out that they no longer needed my help, as the venue had their own merch folks. However, they wanted me to help with Rachel’s mailing list so while I didn’t get in early, I did get to jump the line and go up the back stairs to The Fillmore, which, I have to say, was pretty cool.

I’d seen Rachel live twice before this but hadn’t ever met Craig so it was fun to meet him and get the skinny on the mailing list. When the show started I made my way toward the front and enjoyed a fabulous set from Rachel.

The last time I saw her she opened for Ryan Star and Andy Grammer and her set wasn’t very long (it was still awesome though!) but last night she played for nearly 45 minutes and it was great! She has so much energy on stage and it, along with her smile, is infectious. It’s impossible not to love her from the moment she opens her mouth. Her own music is great, and I was thrilled she played Work of Art, the theme song from ABC Family’s Jane by Design. That, along with songs from her album, along with a couple of covers, made the set fun and upbeat. I will never NOT be entertained by her bubbly version of Gin and Juice. Too, too good.

When her set finished I went about asking folks if they’d like to be on her mailing list and it was fun hearing people talk about discovering her for the first time. She made a big impression on the Fillmore crowd. 

Matt’s set started about 15 minutes later and from that moment until he finished an hour and 45 minutes later, it was non-stop awesomeness. This was my 9th time seeing him live and it was, as usual, a fantastic show. If you’ve never seen his solo show, shame on you. He’s one of the best and most entertaining performers out there. Don’t miss him next time he’s in your land. 

Matt is first and foremost an excellent musician and when he picks up his old 12-string guitar I literally swoon. He didn’t play it the last time I saw him, which was an opening slot for Train and Maroon 5, but when I saw it on stage I got very excited. There’s just something about its sound…I don’t know, it’s just, well, it’s brilliant.

What I’ve loved about seeing Matt live over the years is not only his great guitar and vocal skills but his ridiculously fun stage banter. The man is hilarious and has one of the best stage presences around. He talks about the songs but adds in stories and anecdotes that make them even better than you thought they were. He’s also fantastic at interacting with the audience and you leave feeling like you got to know him just a little better.

He played a lot from his latest album, but threw in the big hits from the prior one, as well as some old favorites like Bare and Amazing Again. He could have played for another two hours and I would have stayed. I’m pretty sure everyone would have stayed. There’s just never enough time to play every song I want to hear but he did close the show with my absolute favorite of his, Little Victories. You could tell just how thankful he was for his hometown fans, especially those that have been following him since he got his start years ago. He seems genuinely thrilled to be doing what he’s doing and doesn’t seem to take any of his success for granted.

I am thrilled that I get to see this show tomorrow night in Anaheim but do wonder if it will have the same feel. There’s just something about a hometown show that seems to bring out the very best in musicians but I know it will still be awesome because, well, it’s Matt. And it’s Rachel. And they’re just plain great.

Until next time…here are a few shots from the night…

Rachel

Matt

Me and Rachel

Me and Craig