Music in general is great. Live music? Even better. Donavon Frankenreiter and his band of musical genius hit the stage at Paradise Rock Club last night for a soulful set. Many different aspects go in to making a live show great and those aspects vary. So what made this particular set better than great?
Well for starters, Paradise is a small venue and that means you’re up close and personal with the band. There’s not a bad seat in the house. Not to mention they have a lounge and mezzanine seating. But the real deal last night was the band. The bass had my rib cage rattling, my focus was shifted between each band member and their awesome facial expressions, and, of course, the music was amazing.
Their set consisted of 19 songs and lasted a little longer than an hour. The band was dressed down, which complemented their carefree music nicely. The whole set was laid back and easy going.
The crowd sang along to each song and his die-hard fans even sang the tracks off Donavon’s first album. They swayed back and forth to the guitar and kept time with the drum by tapping their toes. The medley of vocals, guitar, bass, piano, drums, and harmonica washed over the crowd with a feel-good vibe.
Donavon ended the night by performing one of his greatest hits “Don’t Matter” for his encore. He pulled a middle-aged gentleman up on stage to sing with him. The man belted the words to the tune and did a little jig in between lyrics. After the last chord was struck and drum hit, Donavon thanked the crowd for coming out and leisurely walked off stage waving.
All in all the night was enjoyable. The mood was set for Donavon by the warm weather and opening band, the Adam Ezra Group. With a sound very similar to Donavon, Adam Ezra and “Turtle,” his bongo player, set the crowd up for a pleasant evening.
I must admit that I had not listened to Donavon Frankenreiter before my preparation for last night’s concert, but they are fast becoming one of my favorite bands. His music echoes other soft rock musicians such as Eric Clapton and Jason Mraz. It’s hard to feel anything, but happy when listening to Donavon. I’ll be telling all my friends about him and you should, too! They’re a great band. Even better live!
For more pictures, check out the WTBU gallery here.
By: Danielle Medina