My My My It’s a Beautiful World
I’ll start my blog this week by stating that show reviews and/or critiques will not be a major recurring theme; however, when it came time to write this week’s post, I could not get the absolutely-incredible show that I witnessed on Tuesday night out of my head. So there you have it. This week I’ll be hard selling you on the genius that is Colin Hay.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016 Colin Hay came to town and, using only a small arsenal of acoustic guitars and his voice, single-handedly slayed Charleson, South Carolina. The Charleston Music Hall was the perfect setting for showcasing his songwriting and personality, in all of its nuance and brilliance.
Who Can It Be Now?
Hay is one of those musicians where, if you don’t recognize him by name, you are more than likely familiar with his work. From his days fronting Men at Work (“Down Under”, “Who Can It Be Now”, “Overkill”), to his appearance on the TV show, “Scrubs”, to the stunningly-beautiful lament, “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You”, featured on the early-aughts, hipster-classic, “Garden State Motion Picture Soundtrack”, Hay seems to have found that sweet spot of living the life of a fairly obscure songwriter while, over the course of three decades, continuing to remain relevant.
I must admit: after last week promoting the new record, traveling late nights, playing shows, and even more traveling, I was spent, exhausted and looking forward to a week of nothing to do. Had I not already purchased tickets, I probably would have opted to skip the show; however, the first 20 minutes of Colin’s set were instant validation that my impulse purchase 8 months prior was a wise decision after-all.
Don’t Bore Us, Get to the Chorus…Actually, Just Talk Some More
Going into this show I was curious about how an artist could pull off 2 hours of music with an acoustic guitar and not lose the audience. My fear was that Hay would roll one acoustic song into another, leaving little room for dynamic tilts and shifts, and all of the songs would start to sound the same. I am pleased to report that my fear could not have been more unfounded.
Remember that first 20 minutes of his set that I mentioned earlier? Within those 20 minutes he had played 1 song. 1 SONG….and it was awesome! The guy knows how to work an audience. He was 1/3 musician, 1/3 storyteller, and 1/3 comedian.
In-between song banter is a delicate thing: too much and the band runs the risk of losing the audience (“Just play the damn song already!”), too little and the audience leaves feeling like they never quite connected. If you’re judging strictly on time, Hay’s banter was longer than any other show I have ever been to, but the fact is: I could not have cared less. In fact, I found myself excited when a song ended, just so I could hear what he was going to talk about next.
To be clear, Colin Hay did not need to win over the audience Tuesday night. Everyone in the house was a fan and familiar with his work. What Hay did have to do, however, was engage and connect and, at that, he is a master. During one particularly sad song, after Hay had delved into the loss of his parents, I witnessed the woman next to me stealthily wiping traces of mistiness from her eyes. I have to admit: there was even a point in the show where I also had to push that lump in my throat back down with a well-timed swig of Hop Stoopid IPA.
Moral of the Story: Listen to More Colin Hay
If you have a chance to see Colin Hay on this tour or any future tour, do it! I find it hard to believe there is anyone on earth who could not have enjoyed the performance I witnessed on Tuesday night. Colin Hay has been doing this music thing for a long time and it absolutely shows. He is a grizzled veteran and, unlike in sports where most athletes reach their prime then retire by the time they reach their mid 30’s, in music the veterans can hang around and, in Colin Hay’s case, improve with age.
Colin Hay Setlist (Tues., Feb. 2 at the Charleston Music Hall)
Source: Setlist.fm
- Beautiful World
- Who Can It Be Now?
- Dear Father
- Maggie
- Mr. Grogan
- Down Under
- Scattered in the Sand
- I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You
- Goodnight Romeo
- If I Had Been a Better Man
- Did You Just Take the Long Way Home
- Overkill
- Waiting for My Real Life to Begin
- Next Year People