The Spectrum

Issue date: 9/22/05 Section: A & E

Media Credit: Surf history.com Jack Johnson shown here riding his bike.

Jack Johnson is one extremely talented artist. His forte ranges from writing songs to performing live while exuberating confidence. On September 15th, Johnson traveled to Brocton, Ma, to perform his concert for his "In Between Dreams" CD. "In Between Dreams", was released March 1, 2005 on Universal Records.

Johnson's concert took place inside a baseball stadium, making the atmosphere and over all mood of the show different than most other concerts. The ability to wander freely around a baseball diamond while listening to live music is something that everyone should experience.

The actual performance by Johnson was one to remember. Some highlights of the show include a version of "Bubble Toes," from his "Brushfire Fairytales" CD, which turned into a medley of songs including The Cars' "Just What I Needed." Mr. Johnson successfully managed to take a four-minute song and turn it into a fifteen-minute jam including many well-known songs from the past.

Johnson also played a variety of cover songs ranging from Sublime to the Beatles, a task that should not be taken on lightly. Johnson performed "Badfish" from Sublime and "Two of Us" by The Beatles. For the Beatles' cover Jack was accompanied by opening act Matt Costa and the two contrasting voices made for a spectacular duet that would have made the Fab Four happy.

Other high points from the show include an accordion solo, yes read those words again, an accordion solo, that actually seemed to make sense at the time. For a few minutes the accordion elevated back onto the respected musical instruments list. Unfortunately, the squeezebox didn't have enough staying power to remain on the list for very long. Jack Johnson classics including "Rodeo Clowns," "Flake," and the perennial live favorite "Banana Pancakes," made its album debut on In Between Dreams, were all offered up for the audiences listening pleasure.

The only downside to the show would have to be the distance traveled to actually get there. Luckily, there wasn't much traffic, making a potentially long trip rather reasonable. The journey would certainly be worth it if given a second chance. Any one else who is interested in a man with an acoustic guitar singing about the beach and summer winds should do the same.

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