Photos and Review by Sunny Martini
This was my first time at a John Butler Trio show, and honestly, I had no idea what to expect. You can listen to all of their records, memorize all of their songs, yet you’d never have a full grasp of the magnitude of talent this band possesses until you see them live. Front to back, it was nothing if not a rollercoaster of sound from the heart, full of emotion and stories to be told. JBT showed true artistry in their set, which consisted of songs ranging from somber, gut-wrenching ballads like “Bullet Girl,” to the loud and crazy wails of “Devil Woman.”
One of the most noteworthy moments of the show was when John Butler, seated solo, jammed out to the epic song “Ocean.” He strummed with passion and fury. He changed chords with a surgeon’s delicacy. You could see and feel the core of the artist that is John Butler. The performance was outright mesmerizing. He allows you to get lost in the myriad of facial expressions, with each and every stroke bringing new emotions. From there, bassist Byron Luiters and (new drummer) Grant Gerathy, rejoined Butler on stage to amp the crowd with the haunting and bone-chilling song, “Take Me.” The guitar riffs, paired with JBT’s loud bellows of the chorus line, created a musical Rembrandt. Truly, it was a visual story through pure sound.
At one pivotal point, John Butler stared out into the sea of faces- ecstatic, laughing, and panting- and breathlessly said “You guys must be schizophrenic if you like my music,” which caused the crowd to go completely wild with laughter, togetherness, and love – summing up the mood of the entire night.
To top off the evening, Butler sang “Peaches and Cream,” an ode of love to his wife and daughter. With his eyes closed and deep in thought, his genuine and intense devotion for his family was laid bare. The air hung heavy with emotion. Surely a loving, compassionate, and utterly truthful homage to everything this man holds dear.
The opening band for John Butler Trio was Little Hurricane, a two-person band from San Diego, California bringing a meld of rock and blues to the table. The vibrant female vocals of drummer Celeste Spina, intertwining with lead singer Anthony Catalano’s, folds in nicely with the heavy, grimy guitar riffs. If you like the sounds of the Black Keys, you should definitely check out this band.
Lastly, if the John Butler Trio is ever touring in a city “Close to You,” I highly suggest you take the time to see the… and make sure to “Take Me” with you.
Set List:
Revolution
Wings Are Wide
Don’t Wanna See Your Face
Only One
Fire in the Sky
Blame It On Me
Bullet Girl
Daniella
Ocean
Take Me
Little Hurricane
Witnessing Ocean becomes more and more mesmerising every time… it’s the most memorable thing I can recall from the first time I saw John Butler Trio live. I was floored and it is honestly one of the most captivating things to experience live, even to this day. Spine tingling stuff!
Same thing happened for the photographer/write covering this show. She was pleasantly surprise about how awesome the concert was.