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4-piece band showcases midtempo, gently funky songs with slower pieces perfect for singing, dancing on lawn
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
Published on Thursday, Jun 19, 2008
In a recent Saturday Night Live skit, resident goofball Andy Samberg plays singer/songwriter Jack Johnson as host of a talk show called The Mellow Show, where he talks about being mellow to fellow artists Dave Matthews and John Mayer, and laments the passing of his many pets, including a Gore-Tex-wearing iguana that died of neglect and ''extreme mellowness.''
It's the kind of silly/funny parody of the Hawaiian-born, ex-pro surfer's image and music that should make both his detractors and fans chuckle. Obviously, Johnson has a sense of humor, as the skit is featured on his Web site.
Tuesday night at Blossom, though his two-hour set of tunes was very, very mellow, the near-capacity crowd was in no danger from the (surely mellow) Grim Reaper. The mostly 18-to-30 crowd and a healthy helping of older yuppies danced, sang along and generally concentrated harder on having a good time under the pavilion and on the overstuffed, briefly rain-soaked lawn than on the object of their musical affection.
Johnson's triple-platinum Curious George soundtrack is officially named Sing-a-longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George, but the first part of that title could describe just about all of Johnson's albums and concerts. His music is fairly narrow in range with unhurried tempos, rhythmic guitar strumming, gentle melodies that never reach for highs or lows but simply float around in a comfortable midrange so anyone can sing. Johnson seldom raises his voice above a friendly speaking level and his occasional guitar solos are like his singing — smooth, melodic and unfussy.
Johnson's four-piece band took the stage casually, looking as if they had just stepped out of the audience (dude, it's part of the appeal; he's a regular cat just like you and me!). They opened with the lightly funky groove of Hope from the 2008 album Sleep Through the Static, arguably Johnson's most musically mellow and lyrically serious collection to date.
Switching between acoustic and electric guitar, Johnson bounced back and forth between two basic song formats. There is the midtempo, gently funky and/or reggae-flavored groove found in songs such as Good People, Sitting, Waiting, Wishing and the crowd favorites Bubble Toes, Banana Pancakes and Staple It Together, which featured a fun melodica duel between keyboardist Zak Gill and opener Money Mark. On the other end of Johnson's musical spectrum are the (more) soothing slower songs such as Losing Keys, Go On and Breakdown.
Through it all, Johnson swayed (gently) back and forth, keeping the banter to a minimum. Easily the hardest-working man onstage was Gill, whose grandmother drove up from Columbus to see him perform. Gill danced, frequently stood and body-jammed, provided vocal harmony and animated accordion, and added some swing to Johnson's reserved grooves with his work on the keys.
On the Blossom grounds, fans could register to vote, and environmental organizations such as Surfrider Foundation and Climatecounts.org set up booths where fans could learn about the ''three R's'' (reduce, reuse, recycle) and other environmental concerns.
On and offstage, Johnson comes across as a truly groovy, caring and yes, very mellow dude. The kind of guy who, if you walked up to him on the street, called him an expletive and kicked him in the nethers, he'd probably ask if you felt better, and offer to talk about your anger issues and ways to channel your negative energy over a cup of chai tea at the nearest coffeehouse.
And, even if one finds Johnson's music boring — as many folks do — it's difficult to actively dislike the guy. His music is so inoffensive, safe and polite that nonfans are more likely to forget they're actually listening to it than be upset by his soothing sounds.
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
In a recent Saturday Night Live skit, resident goofball Andy Samberg plays singer/songwriter Jack Johnson as host of a talk show called The Mellow Show, where he talks about being mellow to fellow artists Dave Matthews and John Mayer, and laments the passing of his many pets, including a Gore-Tex-wearing iguana that died of neglect and ''extreme mellowness.''
Get the full article here.
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