I Have You to Thank: Gavin DeGraw Concert

Oct. 9, 2011 marks the day that I, a huge fan, admirer and enthusiast since the ripe age 12, was able to not only hug the man that sings with perfect solidarity, but also told to hold on tight by the charming Gavin DeGraw himself. 

This year’s Penn State Homecoming concert sponsored by the Student Programming Association (SPA) brought three performers to Recreation Hall Sunday evening for only $5 a ticket. Opening the performance was special guest Carolina Liar, followed by American Idol winner David Cook, and musician Gavin DeGraw.

Carolina Liar took the stage first to get everyone pumped up; however, the crowd seemed to lack the enthusiasm that they were searching for. Chad Wolf lead the alternative-rock band in singing songs from their newest album, Wild Blessed Freedom, as well as more well-known tunes from their 2008 major label debut, Coming to Terms. Most notably were their performances of “I’m Not Over” and “Show Me What I’m Looking For,” which got the crowd’s attention, though only about as much as lead singer Wolf’s hair-crazed, head-banging did.

Seventh season American Idol winner was next up, to perform in front of an anxious audience. David Cook opened up with his song “Kiss on the Neck.” Keeping in Idol tradition, Cook’s sound was eerily similar to season five finalist Chris Daughtry’s, though lacked the spark that has inevitably made Daughtry largely successful. Nevertheless, Cook’s ballad “Hard to Believe,” a slower song about love and loss from his 2011 album, The Loud Morning, added a bit of spice to his monotone-esque style.

Sadly, what really brought the crowd to life was Cook’s rendition of “Champagne Supernova,” originally by Oasis, and his “Movin’ Out” Billy Joel cover. While Cook has a great voice and is a talented vocal artist, he lacks the charm to make him stand out amongst musicians of the same genre. In promoting his new album, he performed the songs “Right Here with You,” and “Fade into Me,” which have single-status potential. With catchy refrains and chorus’ to match, his newest album might be a better bet than his previous popular “Light On” single from his Idol days, though they are more on the darker side.

The most exciting part of Cook’s performance was arguably the fact that his pants decided to rip from his knee straight up to his crotch. The audience roared as he joked about being exposed behind his guitar. “What’s the ETA on a back up pair of pants?” He asked his band mate. Luckily for Cook, this all happened at a point in which most of the crowd was becoming restless in anticipation for the presence of Gavin DeGraw, and therefore that exposure (and a countless array of jokes on the matter), is just what he needed to make his part of the concert an exciting one.

After Cook wrapped up his performance, the hundreds in attendance had already been waiting for about three hours for DeGraw to take the stage.

And then, at around 10:45 p.m., the sound of an angel graced upon us.    

Opening up with a set of songs that included his hit single “Chariot,” the crowd cheered in approval as DeGraw sang and of course, played his piano. The talented DeGraw went straight to business performing back-to-back songs and left introductions for later in the night. The musician and singer-songwriter based his performance on a mixture of old and new music, all of which carried with it perfectly- executed vocals and harmonies. As his voice blasted all the way through the entire room, there wasn’t one person in the audience not moving their feet, or being told by security to move back from being too far into the aisle way… or maybe that was just me. His combination of classic melodies and hit singles with new music was a great way to blend his slow and more upbeat songs and allow for the crowd to fall in love with his lesser-known pieces.

Unlike his previous performers, DeGraw didn’t need to call out to the audience to get a feel for how excited they were; it was evident. Throughout the concert, some of his newer songs that really stood out consisted of his hit single “Not Over You,” and various others from his 2011 album Sweeter, including “Soldier,” “Where You Are,” “Run Every Time” and “Spell It Out.” If you haven’t already purchased his new CD or downloaded it, you’re missing out. His sound is nothing short of something that touches your soul. With beats both fast and slow, he creates a rhythm unlike any other. And as he speaks of love, it makes a woman question who could have possibly caused him to write the most touching lyrics that hit you straight in the heart.

DeGraw has a timeless sound that will only improve. With a voice that flows flawlessly and that echoed so clearly throughout the venue, he sounds even better live than on his record, which really raises the bar for other musicians and showcases his true talent. It takes a lot of skill to command a stage the way Degraw does, as he switched between the piano and singing into the microphone. It was simplicity at its finest. At the end of a powerful performance of one of his most classic songs, “I Don’t Want to Be” from his first album Chariot, DeGraw actually stood on top of the piano as the crowd swayed along to the sound of his voice.

Nothing could have made the evening better than to have met the man-of-the-night myself, and fortunately, I was able to do just that.

As I waited in line to get a picture and meet the musician that I’ve long admired, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I was going to say.
Earlier in the week my previous boss at a local radio station mentioned me to DeGraw during an interview, so I tweeted DeGraw and he retweeted me. It essentially made my day (just ask pretty much everyone who knows me or who was within a 3 mile radius at the time.) As I approached DeGraw yesterday, I explained to him who I was. The moment he remembered me personally, and the fact that I was more than just a random face in the crowd, is a feeling that I will never forget. To this day, he probably doesn’t know how big of an impact his music has made on my life, and someone of his demeanor is just the person I imagined him to be; laid-back, clever, and brilliantly charismatic.

He was the perfect person to end the Homecoming concert. So, keep doing your thing Gavin because as of today I have you to thank for one of the best nights that I can recall in a long time.