Being a long time fan of singer/songwriter Ray LaMontagne, the chance to go to one of his shows was one I simply couldn't pass up. His soulful, raspy voice with all its power and sincerity coupled with his personal lyrical style makes him stand out amongst the overcrowded genre of white guys with guitars. Performing with him was the British pop songwriter David Gray, who I had not listened to prior to the show but had friends who loved his music. Going to see an artist that you are unfamiliar with live can make for a bit of an awkward experience, but I wasn't really concerned.

Up first was a local artist whose name I couldn't remember despite it being repeated several times throughout the show. Chalk it up to her unremarkable, bland music for a reason why it was hard to remember anything she sang as soon as she was done. It wasn't terrible music, it was competent enough. But in a world where we have more than enough songs to keep us happy until the end of time, an artist needs to have something special to make them different and distinct over the din of mediocrity. This girl, sadly, had nothing to make her stand out. Her set was short, though, and the show was able to move on to the act I had come to see.

LaMontagne and his backing band, The Pariah Dogs, came onstage bathed in multi-color spotlights, with Ray himself off to the side. They opened with "For The Summer", which was met with much cheering and applause. It is a mid-tempo song, but LaMontagne's powerful voice was able to make it fill the entire venue. It was a case where everything that was mesmerizing and unique about his voice was amplified when put into a live setting. The next highlight was when he broke out one of his best known songs, "Trouble". This song was wonderful live with an added jam session at the end where LaMontagne ad-libbed lyrics as the band played on for an extra minute or too. That kind of spontaneity is always welcome in a live show as it makes the song familiar, but different enough where you don't feel like you're just listening to the album.

"Trouble" was followed up by "Beg, Steal, Or Borrow", which is an excellent new song reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, and his latest single "Repo Man". The latter was turned into a room-shakingly angry tirade against the woman the song focuses on. It was thunderous and compelling, with LaMontagne showing more edge to his voice than on the album version. Then later came the jam intro for "Henry Nearly Killed Me", where LaMontagne put down his guitar and picked up a harmonica for the upbeat blues song that was getting the whole venue moving. For his final song, LaMontagne broke out the one people had been shouting for all night, "Jolene". It was just Ray in a spotlight, playing his guitar and singing mournfully in a soft rendition of what remains a beautifully heartbreaking song. The whole set was excellently performed and it was clear that LaMontagne really loves doing what he does.

During the intermission between shows, a cloth was drawn over the stage. David Gray used this when he started his set so people would see his shadow and get more worked up. His show was pretty much the opposite of LaMontagne's. While LaMontagne's was low-key and subtle, Gray's was more about showmanship, with lights, a little bit of fog, and David Gray himself dancing and shaking his head almost constantly. He opened with "Fugitive", which was a high energy start to the show. Compared to the album cut, this was more interesting and seemed to be more energetic, while the album cut feels more restrained. This led into the swaying 6/8 song, "First Chance", which was a little quieter, giving Gray's songwriting a chance to come through. The song built nicely from start to finish and worked well in a live setting, not feeling like it was that long, since the album cut is around six minutes long.

Later on he broke out "The Other Side", which started as a slow-burning piano ballad, using the spotlights to build a mood of sadness before the band kicked in, remaining subdued but still upping the intensity of the song. This eventually led to the big emotional climax of the night that was "Nemesis". The slow ballad was obviously a more personal song as Gray seemed to get more emotional while singing it. It then built to a crescendo, with lights being reflected off a disco ball to send beams all over the room, a little bit of fog making it all seem a bit hazy. This went on well beyond the end of the regular song and Gray continued to jam and improvise. It was a great rendition that was the highlight of the night. As though not to leave the audience feeling drained after such a heavy song, Gray broke out "The One I Love", which was more upbeat and bouncy. It was a satisfying finish, almost as though it was to provide closure to "Nemesis". All in all, for someone who I wasn't familiar with beforehand, I was really impressed by David Gray.

So, the show as a whole was a fun night with two very talented people who have very different styles of performing. Whether you were there for Ray Lamontagne or for David Gray, it's a certainty that no audience member left disappointed after such a heartbreaking, fun, and overall glorious show.

-Brenden Kirch

Ray Lamontagne & David Gray
8/22/2010
Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
www.raylamontagne.com
www.davidgray.com

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