So he introduced the song that was the reason for me going to the concert by apologizing for the English backpackers carousing the streets of Sydney drinking too much.
Ok back up a bit… So after Michael (my gracious host in Sydney) talked up the state theater I had spent the weekend pondering whether to go to the surf camp with Steve or see Jamie Cullum in concert at the state… Still on the fence Sunday I started to come down with the flu, thus making my decision. Only problem, the single seat I had my eye on was no longer available. Sigh…
But as fate would have it I was walking by the theater on my way home from checking out the opera house and botanical gardens. It was just before the ticket window closes so I popped in just to see if there was decent ticket…
Three hours and a huge basket of fish and chips later I was watching Mark Sholtez open for Jamie playing a cover of U2’s "all I want is you". Mark was a nice opener but not half the performer of Jamie, but he got points for not making my ears hurt covering U2. Jamie was probably the most captivating performer I’ve seen since Ledisi at the Monterey Jazz Festival… Diverse audience of young and old, including many mother daughter pairings gathered to hear Jamie’s amped up jazz standards arranged by his bassist. He used the piano as a drum, and a spring board, and banged the keys passionately, living up to his reputation for beating up his instruments. Apparently he started as a drummer, and somewhere along the line moved on to piano.
Before the show the English couple seated next to me said that just 3 years ago they heard his demo tape when looking for a band for her daughters wedding, but deemed him too quiet. Easy to say that somewhere in those 3 years he found his own voice and made it loud enough to make people listen.
By the end of the show he had the whole theater standing and moreover jumping, even the folks in the balcony who had been warned against dancing before the show. An inspiring night that left me missing my iPod and what’s more, my guitar.