Jack Johnson @ Sidney MyerMusic Bowl, Melbourne(25/03/08)

Fri 28th Mar, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Check out all the photos from Jack Johnson’s Melbourne show here!

Fathers, lock up your daughters. And while you are at it you might be well advised to do likewise with your wives also. Jack Johnson is in town and he’s bringing his acoustic mish-mash of rock, folk and funk to his adoring Australian fans. While there were no panties thrown on stage during his concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, it is more than feasible that this would be a regular occurrence for the Hawaiian crooner.

From the moment he beckoned the crowd and encouraged, “Don’t be scared to dance”, during his second song Taylor, the crowd was almost literally putty in his hands, and his chick-magnetism was perfectly illustrated. An intimidating horde of teenage girls, with their boyfriends in tow, rushed to the front of the stage, and proceeded to sway, clap, and sing along in unison to the entire set. In addition to this, the backdrop screens of the stage contained impressive setting images that complemented the music superbly, and further added to the ambience of the show. In fact, so contagious was the atmosphere at that moment that this reviewer was almost compelled to throw his arms around his male companion and sway along to Johnson’s catchy tunes of peace, love, and understanding.

The immediately striking thing about a Jack Johnson gig is the diversity of the audience. Not only are all age-groups represented, but a broad spectrum of stereotypes as well. Firstly there was the surfie crew with their tracky-daks, hoodies, and sun-bleached locks, then the jocks with their designer stubble and salmon polo-shirts (collars up of course!), not to mention every typecast in between. This multiplicity is, in itself, evidence that the messages of Johnson’s tunes are reaching their audience.

While the music was impressively catchy, if there was one criticism to be directed at Johnson is that his two-hour strong set began to sound rather one-dimensional after a while. It seemingly consisted of one standard tempo throughout. One couldn’t help but think that the set would have been well served by the belting out of an “angry song”, but the likelihood of that happening was as probable as the ensemble of devotees that had congregated rioting amongst themselves.

The tempo was only really altered when various members of the supporting bands, namely Matt Costa and G-Love, joined their headliners on stage. It was then that the true musicianship and vibe of the songs emerged, and the impressive skill of Zach Gill (piano/accordion) was showcased in all its glory. Just when the band seemed to hit their stride and the atmosphere was at is most jovial, the set came to a close, and the group departed. This was followed by Johnson’s solo acoustic encore. The man himself even quipped that it was nice to play to a sober crowd that were intent on listening to these songs for a change. However, this part of the set failed to really capture the imagination, and in turn created somewhat of an anti-climax.

All in all, the gig was enjoyable for its stripped-back, no frills approach, however one gets the impression the songs would be better received in a bedroom on a rainy and hungover Sunday (or even a more intimate pub/club venue) rather than in the open surrounds of an outdoor arena.