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John Butler brings fans new jams

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Also by Tom Hager:

John Butler brings fans new jams (November 20, 2007)

by Tom Hager

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

What the Barrymore Theatre lacked in size, it made up for in energy Saturday. Despite the theatre's high school auditorium size, the John Butler Trio rocked the crowd with a combination of improvised solos and fan participation, and was well worth the price of admission. By infusing improvised solos into his most popular songs, the Australian jam band left the crowd with fulfilled expectations, as well as something new.

The emphasis of the concert seemed to be on individual performances. Shannon Birchall, who usually plays an upright bass, had a long solo, and drummer Michael Barker. Barker had a solo that was more than 10 minutes long. However, the highlight of the show was John Butler. In the middle of the concert, Birchall and Barker left the stage, and Butler took over. Although he only played two songs alone, they were most enthusiastically received of the concert. The first song of the solo performance was "Fire in the Sky," a popular among his fans with the words, "I don't understand/ How one can kill a man/ In the name of peace."

However, the highlight of the show had to be "Ocean," an improvisational song that Butler wrote when he was performing as a youth at the Fremantle Market in Australia. Although it has no words, the song is quintessentially Butler's, showing his creativity and skill. "It keeps me very close to who I am; it's a foundation song," Butler said. "As I change, it changes with me." The song captivated the audience, stopping for a moment the raucous dancing and shouting. When Butler finished, the audience cheered for about a minute consecutively.

After the applause, the band came back out to play for about an hour. The final part of the play was when the trio played many of their hits, such as "Zebra," "Better Than" and "Funky Tonight," the last song that the band played. Toward the conclusion of the song, both Birchall and Butler set their instruments down to play on the drums with Barker. The creative finish was a fitting conclusion to a man who played on the streets until he was able to fund the recording of his first CD.

The two-hour concert was a testament to the growing popularity of the trio, who couldn't sell out the Barrymore Theatre two years ago. Fans know the trio's appeal stretches far beyond its catchy singles; their improvisational genius makes every performance exhilarating. The only off-key note of the concert was a girl in front of the stage, crying hysterically at the greatness of John Butler.

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