"Listen when, all of this around us'll fall over...

...I tell you what we're gonna do. You will shelter me, my love. And I will shelter you."
-"Shelter," Ray LaMontagne


The blogging has fallen by the wayside lately, but I won't fall out of the routine of at least writing about my live music experiences. Friday night I was back at the 9:30 club for a Ray LaMontagne show. Old readers might remember that back in the blistering cold of January, I was left standing outside the Ray show at the Iota club after an overwhelming and probably unexpected demand quickly filled it to capacity.

So Friday night's show was special not only for the music, but also for being a night of redemption after months of patiently awaiting Ray's return. While I would have preferred to have heard him in the more intimate setting of Iota (you'll understand why in a moment), the concert was excellent anyway and Ray really proved himself as an artist.

I arrived with my entourage (hah!) shortly before the opener came on. After enjoying the balcony view for the past few 9:30 shows I'd attended, I decided it was time to hit the floor and get right in by the stage, particularly for a musician like Ray. We managed a pretty good spot to the right of the stage, probably getting as close as ten feet from the front. The opener was Sarah Blasko, just one in a series of Australian artists to catch my attention as of late. The best way for me to differentiate her from her peers is to call her a much less weird, much more accessible version of Bjork. Though her mellow and ambient sound might not have been the best choice for getting us pumped up for the main act, it was still quite good and further convinced me that those Aussies have a bunch of good musicians hiding down under.

Ray took the stage around 11:30, fully bearded, hair growing out, and smaller in stature than I expected him to be (even after seeing him on TV). To say that he was soft-spoken would be an understatement. It was enough that we had to deal with an occasionally rude and fairly chatty crowd (in my immediate vicinity, we had people loudly belching and giggling during the show, and after a couple muscled their way in front of me to get close to the stage, they proceeded to act drunk and loudly debate--over the music--about what size t-shirt they should buy), but even when the venue was actually down to a hush, I had to strain my ears even to hear what Ray was saying. Apparently Ray doesn't like to chat much, and after fumbling over words and appearing somewhat uncomfortable, he said something to the effect of "now you know why." Where one would usually expect fun and playful rock 'n roll banter at a concert, from Ray we heard about his dark nightmares, the danger of self-destructive behavior, and the effects of drug abuse. It was a downer, to say the least, but it was also refreshing to hear an artist speak so candidly about the issues that haunt him or give him purpose.

Dark themes aside, when Ray had his guitar and hand and he opened his mouth to sing, it was completely different. When it came down to the music, he seemed to be okay, completely comfortable and in his own world. His passionate and honest voice filled the whole club and was a most beautiful thing. To hear him speak in barely-audible whispers, then to immediately hear him perform his music was simply incredible, and it made me appreciate his talent that much more.

Ray played a satisfying hour-and-a-half set before he left the stage. Album favorites and crowd pleasers like "Trouble" and "Shelter" were fantastic and a great way to get the audience into it. But highlights for me were a down-tempo version of "How Come" and the soulful "Forever my Friend." Ray also performed a new song, "Danielle," which really brought out the rocker in him compared with some of his mellow ballads.

Anyway, it was a great show. Ray's "sandpapery" voice is one-of-a-kind, and I really think (or hope, rather) that he's just scratched the surface with this debut album, and I can't wait to hear more from him soon!