PATRICK Monahan tears down the barrier, amiably, between star and fans.
The one-night concert of Grammy Award-winning band Train at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum was memorable for two things: the robust set of infectious roots-rock music, and front man Patrick Monahan tearing down the barrier between star and fans.
After the front act, 6Cyclemind, the lights went out inside the Big Dome, drenching the crowd’s excitement in darkness. Soon, an air whistle blared, along with faint chugging noises that grew louder and louder by the second. The crowd roared.
Train—Patrick Monahan (vocals), Jimmy Stafford (guitars) and Scott Underwood (drums)—stormed in “Kumusta kayo!” Monahan shouted, and proceeded to rock the stage with “Parachute.” The 42-year-old, bed-haired vocalist then worked the venue with drunken flamboyance in “Meet Virginia,” which also boasted Stafford’s chops in a frenetic solo.
Inspired by SF
“Save Me, San Franciso,” the carrier single of their same-titled latest album, is a fun mix of catchy hooks and country vibes. The lyrics are peppered with references to San Francisco—where the band was born in 1994.
In a press con earlier the same day, Monahan related that the city shaped their music, that they started playing acoustic music in coffee shops while standing on tables, and that other Bay Area bands like Third Eye Blind, Counting Crows and Green Day “set the tone for a certain sound.”
He added: “There are stories of living in the Bay Area, constant flood of cool and scary moments, memories of the Golden Gate Bridge and everything that comes with it. San Francisco has great music from all over the world because of how diverse it is… It’s just evolving. It’s very eclectic.”
These influences were apparent in their performance of “She’s on Fire.” Starting with a funky and techno instrumentation, the band regaled the crowd with a country version of the song, with touches of jazzy piano music in the background.
Train also provided variety in their set by covering Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” A fan had the time of her life when Monahan asked her to join him on stage and sing.
The band reveled in the Christmas spirit, rolling on with the cheery “Shake Up Christmas”—a song used by Coca Cola in its 2010 Holiday advertising campaign.
“Hey, Soul Sister” is another catchy roots-rock tune. With playful strums of ukulele in the intro, the song sounded like something that one would expect from a Jason Mraz record. The band’s music has evolved a lot in the past 17 years, said Monahan, but this song signals a return to their folk roots.
Time with fans
Midway through his performance of “If It’s Love,” Monahan whipped out his camera and took photos of the crowd (which he uploaded on the band’s official Twitter account after the concert).
During the press con, the band underscored the importance of communicating with the fans. “We always try to reach out to them on Facebook and Twitter. They’ve really opened us up to a whole new group of fans,” said Stafford.
Despite the rock star air and bravado, Monahan never let the crowd feel that he was untouchable or bigger than the occasion. He spent a lot of time interacting with the fans, throwing high fives here and there.
During the sugary soft rock number, “Marry Me,” Monahan jumped off the stage and roamed around the venue’s Patron section. The security was tight, but he made sure to shake hands with the mobs of eager and shrieking fans.
One of the concert’s lightest-hearted moments was Monahan giving away a signed acoustic guitar. He didn’t let go of the prized instrument easily however, as he asked a bunch of girls to go up on stage to fight for it.
“The one with the funkiest and freshest dance moves gets the guitar,” Monahan announced. Naturally, hilarity ensued as the girls tried to outdo each other.
Fitting end
There was no better way to end the night other than with the song that won them two Grammy trophies, and cemented their name in the music industry: “Drops of Jupiter.” The opening piano riff was enough to send the girl-heavy crowd into ear-splitting shrieks, while the chorus elicited the loudest sing-along in the entire concert.
“We’ve been to over 35 countries around the world, but this is our favorite place. Thank you for being the most beautiful people,” Monahan told the crowd.