Sometimes you get a decent feel for a band simply by looking at its fans. Awkward, patchy-skinned adolescents and their late-twenties counterparts: Weezer. A handful of cute, shy chicks scattered amongst a bunch of aggressive dudes in their early twenties, most wearing tank tops and baggy t-shirts: Atmosphere. Casually but trendily attired twenty-to-thirty-somethings, a few with dreads and many in pairs: John Butler Trio. Typical modern jam band? Not exactly.
John Butler and his trio tore into "Pickapart" to open their Tuesday night set at the Crystal Ballroom. Energetic, groovable and easy to sing along to, it was a great opener. The crowd loved it, John Butler loved it, I loved it. However, pretty much every song the John Butler Trio played thereafter also consisted of big sing-along choruses surrounded by danceable grooves. It got old fast. Thankfully, the John Butler Trio has an element that separates it from your run-of-the-mill modern jam band: John Butler and a guitar. This guy can really really play. Any time a guitar is in his hands, there is potential for greatness. He is that good.
Needless to say, the highlight of the evening featured just John Butler and a guitar. "Ocean," an instrumental guitar piece, almost Celtic in inspiration, features some furious plucking and strumming, complemented by guitar body drumming. If that sounds cool, it was even better (YouTube proof #1, YouTube proof #2). Tuesday night's rendition was even more free form and energetic than those in the videos; during the crests of the song, it seemed as though the crowd's energy was directly connected to his long-nailed fingers, swelling at his every whim. The only distraction from Butler's mastery were the multitude of smart phone screens popping up as the song increased in intensity.
Unfortunately, "Ocean" was not the norm for the show. The group fell back into familiar territory soon thereafter, although the newer songs presented a more polished sound than the old. Near the end of the set, the drummer took center stage for a pointless call-and-response with the crowd. It felt way too forced, as though he were simply reading from the jam band manual. If Butler had stepped in with another solo guitar demonstration, the concert would have been taken to a higher level. Instead the entire evening felt formulaic with hints of brilliance.
The opener, Mat McHugh, sounded like a watered-down Jack Johnson, with a hat. Seriously, if you do a search on Google Images, you will NOT find Jack Johnson in a hat.
Set List
Pickapart
Used To Get High
I'd Do Anything
Revolution
Daniella
Better Than
Treat Yo Mama
Losing You
Ocean
Ragged Mile
Good Excuse
Zebra
C'mon Now
Close to You
Encore:
Peaches & Cream
One Way Road
Funky Tonight
