Jon McLaughlin w/ Marc Scibilia and Brad Ray
Columbia City Theater, Seattle, WA
10.18.16
Jon McLaughlin brought his glittery, gold piano to the charming Columbia City Theater to unleash the piano ballads that he is most known for. Loyal fans sang along during the heart-wrenching choruses and fully engaged while he told stories of the long and winding road of the singer/songwriter.
Opening the night was Brad Ray, a fresh-faced, 23-year old songwriter from South Carolina that was full of charm. “It is time for my Taylor Swift moment,” he said, as he spoke about a girl he broke up with in college that he admittedly gained “a full album from.” He had an early John Mayer-esque sound about him, with his palm mutes and fingerpicking on his Martin guitar. His voice was understated, and had a rasp to it that was beyond his years. A solid set from a young storyteller.
Before we knew it, Marc Scibila made his way to the stage with a bass drum bearing his name. Without a word of introduction, he started into the funky “Out Of Style,” the title track to his 2016 release. He was sans band and put on a solo acoustic act that was truly engaging. His voice bridged the line between Jason Mraz and Ray LaMontagne, soulful and bright. Between his favorite song to perform, “Jericho,” and the positive vibes of “How Bad We Need Each Other,” Scibilia took a risk in covering Springsteen’s iconic track “Dancing In The Dark.” The risk paid off in a dancing sing-a-long. Donning his signature mop-top, Scibilia treated the growing crowd to a last passionate performance before a well-earned break after two years of touring.
The old vaudeville theater was filled to the brim in anticipation of Mclaughlin and his ivory-tickling skills. Again, with no introduction (other than getting the crowd to clap their hands), Mclaughlin started into the driving “Anybody Else” off of his 2013 release Holding My Breath. The set was a wonderful journey through his career with stories about some seminal moments along the way, most notably how he had to learn cover songs to get the attention of the crowd at his early gigs at the beloved neighborhood restaurant. . . Applebee’s. Not long after that, he performed a spirited version of The Police’s “Message In A Bottle,” a song he swore he would never play again. His advice to aspiring musicians, “Don’t be afraid to play cover songs at Applebee’s.” Sage wisdom.
Mclaughlin is best known for his melodic ballads that have been heard in many hit TV shows. The crowd swayed in unison and sang along as McLaughlin belted out the sweeping vocals of his notable hits “Human” (From Scrubs and the Ghost Whisperer) and “Beautiful Disaster” (From A Little Thing Called Life). However, the man on the piano can get funky, as demonstrated when he got the crowd moving with the bluesy, soul-filling “Why I Am Talking To You.”
The sweetest story he told was how he met his now wife, Amy. Just like Brad Ray from earlier in the night, he broke up with a serious girlfriend in college, which was the catalyst to begin his songwriting. Those early break-up songs, were performed for Amy in a small practice room at Anderson University. Fast forward 13 years, he wrote another break-up song with her entitled “I Want You Anyway” and performed it for the adoring crowd.
McLaughlin has had a rather successful career as a piano balladier in our modern music landscape. He had genuine appreciation for the crowd and the room that he filled with his music. Crafting sweet and heartfelt melodies over the years, he has certainly established himself as a musician with a storyteller’s heart.
Review and photos by Phillip Johnson
Jon McLaughlin
Marc Scibilia
Brad Ray
