Patrick Monahan getting by with a little help from his friends…
Picasso At The Wheel Tour…Train, The Fray, & Matthew Nathanson
Beth Volpert Johansen
Eclectically speaking, my personal summer concert series has been a hit. With four concerts at three Atlanta venues in less than 2 weeks under my belt, the far-reaching nature of the live music path I meander was met with a concert that summed up all that is live entertainment.
Beginning with Matthew Nathanson’s crowd-pleasing banter at the mic, though Fray’s Anatomy favorites and culminating with the awesome vocal range offered by Patrick Monahan and the members of Train, Friday night, June 4th at Aaron’s Lakewood Amphitheater could not have gotten much better.
Patrick Monahan held the mic and mastered the ceremonies like the pro that he is. Part entertainer, part preacher, Monahan whipped the crowd up and brought them to emotional highs created by the words and music offered as sacrifice on the stage as altar. He sang When I look to the Sky with a reverence that hushed the crowd allowing his almost primal acapella plea to reach the angels he called to bring peace to those there. He convinced the crowd to reach into the sky and pull down a sort of blessing for anyone who might need it without offending. It was a magic moment, truly communal.
There were more magic moments that brought children onto the stage to do The Locomotion, left room for a willing bachelor to ask a girl to “Marry Me”, and then allowed the band to Get By With A Little Help From My Friends…Matthew Nathanson and The Fray’s Isaac Slade joined Monahan on stage to sing the classic with the kind of high energy indicative of those who honestly love the music.
The band played a song from their latest album, Bulletproof Picasso, called Give It All. The song summed up what all of the night’s entertainers must do for their success, no matter the cost- I am certain I could not last a day in any of their shoes, but am infinitely grateful that they do what they do.
Following Marry Me, Monahan implored the crowd, “Let’s celebrate our wedding with Soul Sister!” The crowd obligingly sang every word. And to prove the band was not there for a drive-by, nor was he a shy guy, Monahan launched into a burning rendition of She’s On Fire.
True to his love of the classic rock that brought him to the stage, Monahan reached for the upper limits of his range with Dream On. No doubt Steven Tyler would have found the efforts a compliment and Train brought it all like a teen cover band who finally OWNED their favorite tune. It was a joy to witness.
Predictably, the band leader/preacher brought us all back from our soul vacation in gentle Drops of Jupiter. Couples danced, young girls swayed dreamily, a pretty mom joined hands with her young daughter-one of her triplets- while they gracefully danced between the sleeping forms of the little girl’s two brothers who were curled up on a picnic blanket. Such was the peace that settled into our hair as we exited the venue and headed towards the Milky Way.
Beth Volpert Johansen is a freelance writer from Grayson, GA. She is a regular contributor to The Gwinnett Citizen Newspapers.
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