Live Concert Review - Jack Johnson - Blossom Music Ceter - 6.17.08
By Nathan Veale
Published: June 20, 2008
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It’s been a pretty incredible decade for Jack Johnson. After taking the music world by storm in 2001 with the mellow attitude, acoustic guitar strumming, and socially conscious lyrics of that year’s ‘Brushfire Fairytales,’ it’s been a steady ascent to stardom for the surfer and filmmaker. He quickly found himself playing some of the biggest amphitheaters and concert halls in the country, taking his tour worldwide, headlining huge festivals across the globe, and going platinum several times over. Seven years later and little has changed for the 33 year-old Hawaiian-born son of a professional surfer. He’s married to his college sweetheart with whom he has a two year-old daughter. His fourth full-length studio album, ‘Sleep Through The Static,’ debuted at #1 on the charts. He’s still mellow as can be, and he’s once again embarked on a tour of huge amphitheaters, which stopped in Northeast Ohio Tuesday (6.17.08), at Cuyahoga Falls’ Blossom Music Center.

Though it’s been an unseasonably warm June, there was a chill in the air Tuesday, and while there was a constant threat of rain, only a short downpour during opener Mason Jennings’ folk-pop set managed to water the lawn and the thousands of mostly well-prepared fans who weren’t fortunate enough to have seats underneath Blossom’s wooden overhang. By the time Jack Johnson and his band took the stage at nine, the rain was gone for good. With a backdrop of six wood-framed video screens of different sizes, it became clear early and was cemented later that it would be a night filled with family fun, but also a call for change.

 

The sold out crowd of over 15,000 packed into their seats and snagged hopefully unobstructed views from the lawn as Jack opened with “Hope” from the new disc, with the chorus “better hope you’re not alone.” From there Jack and company went straight into “Wasting Time” from 2003’s ‘On and On,’ with the lyrics “so why don’t we get together/and we could waste everything tonight,” and we were on our way. Dedicating “Do You Remember?” to his wife, who travels with him on tour, Jack proved that he is at his absolute best in his simple love songs, which he’d prove again later with “Banana Pancakes” and “Same Girl,” both dedicated to his mother, also in attendance after making the trip up from Columbus. “Upside Down,” the hit single from the Curious George movie soundtrack, kept the family friendly theme going, and later in the set energetic pianist/accordionist/backup singer extraordinaire Zach Gill took the lead on vocals for a song he’d written, strangely (and a little bit creepily) dedicated to his grandmother (once again also in attendance), the innuendo-filled “Girl I Wanna Lay You Down.”

 

The two hour, 25 song set was filled with improvisation and quirky moments. Jack lost his place twice on back-to-back songs, forgetting a verse to “Staple it Together” and then replacing the first verse of “Bubble Toes” with the second one before realizing what he’d done and asking Gill to take over until he could recover, admitting afterwards to being “all over the place tonight.” There was an extended jam during “Staple…” which featured opener Money Mark on a melodica (an instrument that’s part keyboard and part harmonica, becoming popular in indie folk), and a half-cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”

 

For the encore, the lights were dimmed and hundreds of LED lights were turned on in the backdrop, creating a starry background for Jack to play his call to arms, “All at Once,” a song from the new album urging anyone listening to take action while there’s still time. All at Once is also the name of Johnson’s new environmental organization, which had a tent set up designed to educate and initiate action toward environmental change. The next song, “Gone,” was a warning of what could happen if change doesn’t occur. Jack then brought out Mason Jennings for the last three songs, including a half-cover of the classic folk song “Plastic Jesus” into “Fall Line.” Jack, Mason, and the crowd then sang happy birthday to one of Jack’s good friends, Emmit, and the set concluded with a rousing version of “Better Together,” the opening track from 2005’s brilliant ‘In Between Dreams,’ pulling together what had been a family affair throughout.

 

By the end of the show, it was easy to feel like you were a part of the Jack Johnson extended family, part of something special, something bigger than just yourself and the friends and loved ones you arrived with, like Jack’s infectious melodies, mellowness, and dedication to family and friends had not just made for a great night of music, but also had brought everyone in the crowd closer together. It was a good feeling, which unfortunately lasted only up until it took almost 2 hours just to get out of Blossom’s parking lot.

Photos © Jennifer Langman

Exlcusive Concert Photos - Jack Johnson - Blossom Music Center - 6.17.08

 

 

 

 

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