DeGraw enamors crowd at The Blue Note

The show was filled with alternative versions of his hits.

By Amy Backes

Published Sept. 19, 2008

Packed house, energized crowd: It was everything you would expect from a sold-out show performed by a platinum-selling artist like Gavin DeGraw.

By the time the doors were ready to open at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the line for the show wrapped almost completely around The Blue Note. The crowd applauded and cheered as the lights dimmed, and it was obvious that after the long wait between set changes from the supporting act, everyone was ready for a good show.

Opening with a powerful version of "Relative" from his self-titled album, DeGraw interacted with the crowd from the beginning. The speakers blared, the lights flashed nearly every color and the crowd sang along rowdily. Far from shy, DeGraw hammed up the performance to wild cheers and applause. Guitar in hand, he jumped around on stage, leaned back-to-back with the bassist and hammered out his guitar solo.

After a solid opening set of four songs, DeGraw graciously thanked everyone for coming and promised a "beautiful evening." Playing to the crowd, DeGraw shared the stories behind some of his songs: a letter from an ex-girlfriend telling him what he needed to change about himself that turned into the song "Untamed" and his suspicion about an ex-girlfriend that became the basis for "Cheated on Me."

The show was filled with alternate versions of some of his hits. Some songs were toned down to an almost acoustic style with slow piano and others followed a harder rock style with heavy guitar and loud drums. DeGraw also added a few covers to the set list, including Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary," a classic that both young and old fans shamelessly belted out.

DeGraw, who has been touring since May, brought an intensity to the stage that isn't often seen. Sweat dripping down his face and with a strained expression, he sang the songs as if he had just written them yesterday, as if he was re-living the pangs of longing in "Crush," or the passionate attempt to catch the attention of a love interest in "Cop Stop." His soulful vocals were consistently on point, but the times it faltered made his performance all the more believable in his retelling of the stories through his songs.

He didn't have to strain his vocal chords, though, as he allowed the crowd to sing the entire song "More Than Anyone." He simply sat and played the piano, mouthing the words to urge the crowd along. It didn't take much, though, before the venue was filled with all types of voices singing his song. He continued to enjoy the audience's input as he leaned back from the piano and grinned widely. He echoed the audience's sentiments by calling the song a "special moment" afterward.