20/03/08 - Patrick Watson

This was my first concert in nearly four months so needless to say, I was excited and looking forward to feeling that rush that seeing some good music live provides.

I didn't care much for the support act, a local band who were clearly playing the biggest gig of their career, as the huge smiles on all of the members' faces told the crowd. They actually used more of the equipment on stage than I had expected (an acoustic guitar, a cajon, a grand piano and a variety of brass instruments), their style best described as 'feel-good acoustic rock'. They were pleasant songs and the band members were really enjoying themselves but their sound was quite limited without a proper rhythm section and their music wasn't really my cup of tea.
[2/5]

The break in between felt much shorter than I remembered but it didn't make a difference to my level of excitement when the members finally came on. They set the mood perfectly with a great rendition of Close to Paradise and despite the bass having problems through the gig, the rest of the mix was great right from the start. Many of the songs were extended either at the beginning or at the end, the band effortlessly trailing off in all sorts of directions in their jams. The band, all outstanding musicians, were all really fun to watch but the guitarist stood out the most due to the different tools he used on his guitar; an electric toothbrush, a balloon and a bean bag, among others. Another clear highlight was the 'unplugged' version of 'Man Under the Sea' in the middle of the Paradiso hall (with the drummer and bassist on stage playing percussion with their feet), demonstrating both how talented they are even without effects and how much they enjoy the interaction with the crowd. This, to me, was a perfect place to end the concert, which they did, but I was a bit disappointed to see them come back on to play a few more (less exciting) songs, which definitely felt like it dragged on after the climax of the main set. Despite this, it was a very enjoyable concert, with many things to keep me interested on top of the creative reinventions of the beautiful songs. I tried to write down the set list but I didn't recognize all the songs and it appears the encore songs were chosen on the spot, as they weren't on the written set list:
[4/5

Set list:
1. Close to Paradise
2. Out for a While?
3. Drifters
4. Weight of the World
5. Slip into Your Skin
6. The Storm
7. The Midnight Express
8. The Great Escape
9. Mr. Tom
10. Man Under the Sea
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11. ? ("Lie Lie Lie")
12. Jam
13. Bright Shiny Lights