Photo Courtesy of John Craigie
Maybe there will come a day when I don’t say “that was the best concert I have ever been to!” after my most recent concert, but that day is not today. I saw Beth Wood and John Craigie at The Triple Door last night and it was the best concert I have ever been to!
The Triple Door is an intimate and unique venue. Booths and tables filled the space and all pointed towards one large stage. Looking around there were many couples, friends, and even single folks who all came out to enjoy the music. This was my second time at this amazing venue, and I liked my seat a little more this time which added to my enjoyment of the show. They had drink specials called I Am California and No Rain, No Rose which are songs by John and I thought this was a unique touch. The Triple Door is dedicated to making sure you have the right alcoholic beverage to fit your fancy. I sipped some expensive and delicious dihydrogen monoxide throughout the night and man, it was good.
Beth Wood is a beautiful woman with dark brown, curly hair. She came on stage with an infectious energy and the crowd quickly quieted to experience her presence. She wore jeans, a blue sweater, and no shoes and her toes wiggled excitedly as she played her music. She told us personal anecdotes in between each song, and a little bit about what inspired her songs, too. This made hearing them feel more deep and personal. After one of her songs she asked the audience if she could change it up a bit and we all enthusiastically agreed. She then went on to say “I published a poetry book last year… because the only thing lower than folk singer on the social totem pole is (and pointed to her book) so I’m covering all of my bases!” which caused the audience to erupt in laughter. She then proceeded to read us a poem about birds in Las Vegas, Nevada (that was actually very good). She was an incredible artist and seemed like a very fun lady. I have never heard a musician so powerfully and gracefully change the volume of their voice within a single note; it was spectacular and had an incredible effect.
Image Courtesy of The Rooster’s Wife
The John Craigie show was advertised to me as a “hilarious performance” but I didn’t really know what to expect. He came on stage and started singing about how he hoped his performance wouldn’t suck and how even though he checked to make sure his fly was up he was still nervous it was down and other laugh-out-loud phrases. Immediately I was hooked and smiling, and even the servers at The Triple Door couldn’t help but crack a smile. In between each track he told hilarious stories about what inspired the following song. “Pictures On My Phone” was inspired by “consensual picture sharing” and “the struggle with electronic flirting”. He told us about how he has performed at Burning Man, and how the conversations he heard there inspired him to write “Let’s Talk This Over When We’re Sober, And We’re Not At Burning Man”, and judging by the title I think you can concur that it, too, received whoops and hollers from the crowd.
There were aspects of his show that were serious as well. Craigie talked about his journey on the road, writing music and living in Santa Cruz as a young adult. He sang “I Am California” a song so raw and filled with emotion that made me think of home. He sincerely thanked us for being there to listen to him play, saying, “Being listened to is an amazing gift that you all give me and I’m so grateful” which made me respect him and his music just that much more. I really appreciate an artist who appreciates their fans, and the ones that share their journey. Hearing Craigie’s account of the struggles – like singing to “six person coffee house crowds” – and success – going on tour with Jack Johnson – of his journey was really special. He said to us “I sing with my eyes closed because if I can’t give myself chills how am I expected to give my audience chills,” which really resonated with me because it just reiterates the fact that he does what he does because he loves it and he has a story to tell.
Image Courtesy of John Craigie’s Facebook
One verse that has really stuck with me was, “The universe is not against you. The universe went through a lot to get you, so it must want you. It’s a miracle that you’re here at all.” After coming off a pretty stressful finals week and a long, crazy quarter it was reassuring to hear these words, even from a stranger, because the way that Craigie sang them made me believe him.
Image Courtesy of John Craigie
After the show, as I was slowly making my way out, I bumped into a man – the man; I bumped into John Craigie! And my goodness he was handsome as ever, even more handsome up close. He looked down at me and said “hey, thanks for coming” and I kind of just stood there frozen like a goof as he walked past me. When I was 10, I met Nick Jonas and since then I have had this fantasy about going to a concert and somehow falling in love with the artist and I feel like I missed my chance the other night, but it was exhilarating nonetheless.
I would highly suggest listening to John Craigie on Spotify. His album called Live in Portland has all of his funny stories in between the songs, so if you need a good laugh on that long plane ride home, this should be your go-to – plus you’ll get to hear some lovely music.
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