While Wolf Trap is often tailored to older crowds, we do have shows like last night that are tailored for younger crowds. Both Gavin DeGraw and Matt Nathanson have become popular pop performers and have developed a loyal following. Mat Nathanson's first album was released in 1993 but he didn't have a charting record until 2007. He has since had some good chart success and scored a hit with the song "Come On Get Higher". He has continued to increase his popularity and has recorded and toured with bands such as Sugarland and of course, Gavin DeGraw. His music is based mostly on his acoustic guitar playing but his last couple albums have featured more rock arrangements which are aided with his great vocal talent. Gavin DeGraw released his debut album 2003 and scored a hit with "I Don't Want To Be". Since then, he released four more albums to continued success and his soulful vocals have been a mainstay on the charts. Compared with Matt, Gavin's music revolves more around the piano and he has a little more of a rockier edge to his sound. Both of them were excellent performers and their music sounded a lot better on stage than on their CD's, where they would occasionally come off as bland. They both relied on different stage personas, with Matt taking a more comical approach while Gavin had a more rock star personality and didn't talk as much. I liked both of the performances almost equally and they complemented each other very well. Their opener, Andre McMahon was also great and his driving piano playing and vocal style served as a great way to warm up the crowd. I actually thought his stage act was more energetic than both the headliners at some points. Overall, it was a very good show and it exemplified how pop stars often show off their harder edge while on stage.
This show was pretty busy but overall their weren't that many problems. The show was quite long due to the number of acts but the good news was that people left the lawn pretty quickly and there wasn't much to clear up. The sky looked pretty stormy but in the end it cleared and we were treated to one of the most beautiful moon rises I've ever seen! Like I said, the crowd was younger than normal and it actually made me feel a little old. As always, looking forward to more shows in the future!
My favorite part of the show was when Gavin DeGraw played his signature song, "I Don't Want To Be". It was definitely a show topper and one of the few songs of his that rocks both on the record and on the stage. One of my favorite songs which really showed off Gavin's talent!
DC
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| Andrew McMahon |
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| Matt Nathanson |
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| Gavin DeGraw |
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