So frequently do concert goers spend the next day raving about how they went to the greatest concert in the history of concerts. It can get pretty obnoxious. Honestly though, last night I went to a really great concert; I might even say the best one to date...in my experience,that is. It all started when a friend found out that Matt Nathanson was going to be in town and another friend and I decided to go with her. I investigated and was quite pleased with all three acts: Ingrid Michaelson, Melee, and Nathanson. Last night as I sat there taking it all in, I realized that one entry is not enough so I'm breaking it down into three. Here's the first part.
The venue is cosy. Not big, on the side of small so we wound up more towards that back, but as we were settling on that one particular table, with a decent view and limited congestion, I noticed something. We were feet from the dressing room. The end result was that all three acts were literally hovering over our shoulders the whole night to watch whomever was performing. When we first sat down I immediately recognized the lead singer of Melee, Chris Cron, and two other band members sitting in the very back eating. It was cool,being in this moment where none of the acts are too good to get their own drink from the bar, or feel the need to hide themselves away. I did not ask for autographs, pictures, did not fawn, didn't really even make eye contact on the multiple occasions they walked past or just stood there. I was contented to sit and make notes on the back of an envelope.
The show started at 7 sharp when Ingrid Michaelson came out with either a really small guitar or a ukulele to perform "The Beast." Her voice is very warm and smooth and her songs have a whimsical flare to them which is very appealing. Add in a intriguing stage presence and her set was great. Overall, she was very engaging, quipping about driving her mother's minivan on this tour and our state's many firework retailers. It felt very natural. Sometimes crowd banter can be painful and cheesy but she just talked to the whole audience with a surprising level of comfort. "Far Away" was the perfect example of said whimsy, a little reminiscent of a Natalie Babbitt story. I hadn't heard it before, but the lyrics were really colorful and enjoyable. "Overboard" was a set favorite of mine, but recognition really set in with "Keep Breathing" which is featured on the Grey's Anatomy season three soundtrack. The song's soaring chorus kept the audience attentive. After that it was the good old "everybody clap" on "The Way I Am." That was one of the few times getting the whole audience to clap was justifiable. Obviously there were a few more songs in there, but I think these were the highlights. She closed with a cover of "Fools Rush In." Usually I'm cautious of covers but she didn't let Elvis down, doing a slow, melodic, smooth, job on it with her own particular brand. When her set ended I could hardly believe it had been 40 minutes. It was far too short. Michaelson got off stage, walked past my table and was in and out of the dressing room, making an occasional trip to the merch table the rest of the night.
Either later today or tomorrow look for my next entry on Melee's set. I'll say this right now...wow. Unfortunately the venue was really dark so I didn't get but a couple usable pictures. There's so much more to say...I figured I didn't feel like trying to be concise. Until then...
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