Picture this, youâre sitting in the car on your way to your family vacation, scrolling on social media to pass the time during the five hour drive. One central video theme seems to have taken over your âFor You Pageâ, and for good reason. Jack Johnsonâs Surfilmusic Tour kicked off in mid June but it wasnât until less than a week before my show (July 10th at Pine Knob Theater) that I was finally influenced enough to purchase tickets for the show.
This concert just so happened to be my first at an outdoor venue and I have to say the style of the venue was a perfect fit for the aesthetic of the concert. Historically Iâve only been to large arena shows, including Taylor Swiftâs The Eras Tour, so this venue was a major switch up for me. Arguably, I enjoyed the smaller, more intimate concert venue and even preferred it to the large stadium and arena shows that Iâd previously been to.
Now I believe that it is safe to say that the videos that took over my âFor You Pageâ about this concert do not hold a candle to the real experience; the concert was so much more than what could be portrayed in a 30-45 second clip on social media. The energy of this concert was so strong that you could feel the positive energy that was radiating from the stage outwards. In comparison to my previous concerts the environment between the singer and the audience was far more calm and managed to feel far more intimate despite the thousands of people that were in attendance, audience members could feel the love and appreciation for life portrayed from every aspect of the show. Jack Johnson and his band had plenty of interactions with the crowd, with each other, and with the opening act Hermanos GutiĂ©rrez who later joined Johnson on the stage during the second act. Near the ending of the show audience requests were even taken which only served to add to the familial feel of the entire show. Similarly, there were plenty of moments where Johnson opened up to the crowd and shared his own experiences and stories which only added to the atmosphere of the show.Â
I could address the setlist of this concert but I think that a better title would be âmy favorite part of the concert;â not only do I love Jack Johnsonâs music but certain songs are incredibly nostalgic for me. Like many in my generation, I grew up watching Curious George, whose soundtrack was created by Johnson. I can remember dancing in the kitchen with my parents especially to âUpside Downâ so getting to hear that song live with my parents and brother was arguably one of the most special parts of the show for me. Other favorites of mine found themselves sprinkled throughout the four part setlist including songs such as âIf I Had Eyesâ, âYou and Your Heartâ, âShot Reverse Shotâ, âSitting Waiting Wishingâ, and crowd-requested âTalk of the Townâ while also allowing me to experience and discover other songs that I have since grown to love as well. Arguably one of the most impactful songs was the final song of the night, âBetter Togetherâ which wrapped up the entire experience with such lasting feelings of warmth and nostalgia.Â
To wrap it all up (not as well as âBetter Together” wrapped up the concert but I can try), this was an amazing experience that Iâm so grateful to have gotten to live through and arguably has taken the top spot as my favorite concert that I have ever attended (and definitely lives up to the social media hype).