"We were in Louisiana last night. We drove 1100 miles to be
here. You have never seen people so happy to get off the bus,
than us!"
Mark Miller's comment (above) set the tone for a night of great music and dancing, and humorous stage banter. Sawyer Brown stepped on stage and went full-speed ahead through six songs before slowing down to interact with the crowd. This band has a knack for arranging the set list so the highs and lows (i.e., ballads and pop/country stompers) all mesh w/flawless ease.
I first got interested in Sawyer Brown last year when I saw the video for "Lookin' for Love" on TV. Hey, a band where the lead singer ain't afraid to dance in front of thousands of fans ... well ... it tweaked my interest in seeing them in concert. Miller's energy is contagious. That same "party" vibe and contagious energy spills all over the place in their Live performance.
Yes, they do covers. And originals. I enjoyed the musical frills and backtalk from guitarist Duncan Cameron
when Mark Miller was trying to get through a serious story.
Several enamoured and rowdy young ladies walked down the aisle during
one of the songs holding up a sign "Bachelorette Party." You can't very
well stop in the middle of your song to chat w/exuberant listeners.
But shortly after the next batch of songs, Miller says... now where are
those girls holding that sign? And he motions them to get out of their
seats and come to the stage. Cheering and squealing, they complied.
Pointing to the gal w/the "sash," "curtain" (as Miller called it) tied around her curly locks, he said "I take it you are the one! Then asked the Q; When's the date? Their answer: "In two weeks." Miller says, "you're starting early girls!"
Another memorable moment involved Mark telling the crowd about revamping their set list. Relying on feedback from his family, he cautiously asked his seven-year-old son who his fave group was... (pause, silence) ... and his son replied, The Muppets. With that lead-in, Sawyer Brown glided into rowdy covers of "Kokomo," Georgia Satellites' "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop Thinking about Tomorrow," and several others. On "Kokomo," Jimmy Myers the percussion dude in the back nabbed the spotlight as lead vocalist sounding darn-near like Mike Love of the Beach Boys. For cover renditions, they weren't bad!
Hearing their original tunes takes the cake -- along with the two new songs they debuted from their upcoming CD. Golly, I love it when bands do that. Give you a sneak preview. You can't ignore Miller's dancing, hand motions, and playful, rambunctious energy. I also enjoyed the double encores.
Don't want to reveal too much in case you catch them in concert this summer. I'm used to my rock and country artists - and not necessarily laughing. My sister and I laughed and smiled a Lot!
Sawyer Brown, You sure know how to entertain 'n' energize me --
"Well, I ain't first class and I ain't white trash
I'm wild and a little crazy too
Some girls don't like boys like me
Aw, but some girls do..." (Mark A. Miller)
"Me and the boys that I knew in school
Are thirty years old, stubborn as a herd of mules
We get all cleaned up on a Saturday night
We say yes to the girls when they ask if they look alright
Load up the cars and ride around
Roll down the windows and we go to town
And we talk too slow, drive too fast
We're high on life and we're low on gas
Tryin' to make the way things are
The way things used to be, the Boys and Me..."
(Mark A. Miller, Mac McAnally)
The Hits Live on Curb Records
Jakob's Music Site | RoadTrips w/De | critters & music ezboard
