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| Tour Poster (Image Credit - Joshua Radin's Facebook Page) |
As Thursday approached I grew more and more excited and what more the concert was a great way to get my mind off of other things (at least briefly). Joshua Radin was someone who I had been wanting to see in concert for sometime but just hadn't worked out. I had missed an earlier visit to the city a couple year's back when he was touring with another favorite, A Fine Frenzy. Luck, had allowed me to finally see someone whose music I had been a fan of for sometime.
I will be brutally honest, I am in no way a super fan of Joshua Radin, I don't know every lyric or every song but I have followed his music for multiple years. The thing about Josh's music is you don't necessarily find it blaring across the airwaves on the radio. TV & Film, however is another story. Radin's music has been on Grey's Anatomy and Scrubs several times. I likely first discovered Radin on Grey Anatomy but was impacted most by his music in the film Adam. The film is a touching love story of sorts about a young man named Adam (played by Hugh Dancy), who has Asperger's Syndrome. While the backbone of the story is Adam's relationship with his neighbor, Beth (played by Rose Byrne) its less about Adam finding love and more about him finding himself. The movie is perfectly matched with a lovely soundtrack featuring two of Joshua Radin's songs, "When You Find Me" and "Someone Else's Life".
| An audio clip of Joshua Radin's "Someone Else's Life" from the movie Adam |
The fact that Radin's music finds it's way into TV and film in so often reference's back to the title of this blog entry, "Music Tells a Story". Artists, musicians like Joshua Radin, tell stories with their work. Stories that connect with audiences and often well overlaid with the action unfolding, spurring even stronger emotions to what we see on the screen. Their music tells stories, stories that many of us can identify with one way or another.
This is why I am drawn to singer-songwriters. They are often so vivid and visual in their language and thoughtful with their words. The emotions are palatable in the lyrics.
It was really exciting to see Joshua Radin and his touring partners Cary Brothers and Rachael Yamagata. Like Radin, their music can be found TV and film, ranging from Grey's Anatomy, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Garden State, One Tree Hill, The OC, Smallville, and The Vampire Diaries. They are all friends and even went to college together (something I discovered during the concert), which made for a really great show.
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| Cary Brothers, Rachael Yamagata, Joshua Radin, and the band singing during the show. Cary, Rachael, and Josh worked out their day one jitters during this frigid Boston night with a warm welcome at The Wilbur Theatre (Image credit to Joshua Radin's Twitter account) |
The Wilbur Theatre was the perfect size, Cary, Rachael and Josh were intimate and genuine. When there music was telling stories they were. You felt that you were amongst friends. Rachael and Cary were both great and I wish they had been able to play more of their music (playing only about a handful each). Both Cary and Rachel joked about their names, one of the great ways they lightened the mood. After getting a song or two in, Cary introduced himself to the crowd. First name, Cary, last name, Brothers, a nod to the fact when people usually hear the name they think of at least a duo. Rachael noted to remember her name think Kristi Yamaguchi but Yamagata and Rachael instead of Kristi. They both shared their musicality Cary jumping from guitar to keyboard and back again, Rachael performing a haunting piece without instrumentation and a later song with assistance of what I believe was a thumb piano. Their short but sweet performances were great set ups for Josh's headline.
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| Joshua Radin (right) and band member Brandon Walters (aka "Issac Brothers") on guitar (Image Credit- Me) |
Honestly, Joshua's entire performance was wonderful. This entry isn't really meant to be a review but rather a reflection. During his performance Josh noted that his newest album is more lighthearted and happier as he just recently got married. He joked he hoped that fans would still enjoy his music and these "happier tunes" perhaps pointing to how melancholy, love, and break-ups are often draws or nodding to the idea that misery loves company. As someone who goes through a tough time now and then the stories detailed in his songs were ones I connected with and I was very pleased with his new songs. I reflected while I listened, taking the songs in. Music can really be a mood changer and as I listened to the night's tunes I found myself refreshed. I absolutely loved every moment.
The icing on the cake was when purchasing a couple of Joshua Radin's CD's (see below) and signing Cary and Rachel's email lists who do I hear behind me while signing up but Cary and Rachel themselves. I even spoke to them briefly though I was largely tongue tied. This interaction only further proved how amazing they are.
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| My two purchases "Simple Times" and "Onwards and Sideways" (Image Credit- Me) |
