When Graham Colton first took the stage at Lincoln Hall (to perform a duet of “Right Behind You” with opener Ashley Arrison), hearts melted. Girls swooned. Dudes watched enviously. Faces were melted with the first taste of alt-rock awesomesauce that the denizens of Chicago were specially invited by Graham to experience.
The minute Graham opens his mouth is a heart-warming experience. Like the first swig on a standard Chicago evening (without the hair on your knuckles), it’s an inarguable experience. You don’t have any choice but to just give in and let the warmth wash over you. His passion, emotion and vulnerability aren’t something you have to dig deep to find either, they’re right there on the surface. It’s actually quite endearing.
The emotion is right there for you to reach out and connect with. The wholesome, unassuming “boy next door” persona that he embodies isn’t some manufactured piece of PR perfection, it’s just who Graham is. As he rocks (and I mean that seriously) through a set filled with requests, vodka shots and a fair bit of self-deprecating humor, it feels less like a concert and more like you’re part of something. He isn’t interested in just playing music, he’s bound and damned determined to make sure each and every person is having a great time.
The emotion is genuine. The talent is real. The songwriting is extraordinary. He plays the new album’s title track “Pacific Coast Eyes” and the room is filled with smiling faces. (If that single doesn’t hit the top of the VH1 countdown I will ear my shoe.) Mixing up his own songs with a little Billy Joel and Miley Cyrus -before ultimately ending up at Billy Idol’s “White Wedding”- you can’t help but love this guy. There’s no Autotune, no post-processing and no synthesizers or remixing required to make the sound perfect.
The entire set is filled with catchy pop songs that you can’t help but sing along to. Since they don’t leave you with that dirty bubblegum taste in your mouth, you don’t have to feel bad about it either. Graham Colton isn’t just “back,” he’s better than ever.
DATE: Friday, February 11 2011
PHOTOS BY: Brendan Shanley ( @lostinprint )
WORDS BY: Ben Dahl ( @CobaltInfinity )
