![\"ray-lam-7\"](\"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ray-LaM-7.jpg\")
<\/a>I have been watching live music for all of my adult life and have enjoyed pretty much everything I\u2019ve seen. Granted, sometimes a little more than others.\u00a0 It is rare and unusual that an artist\u2019s concert performance just doesn\u2019t work for me at all. \u00a0When that has happened I generally think it\u2019s more about me than the artist.\u00a0 Unfortunately last night\u2019s concert featuring Ray LaMontagne was one of those uncomfortable \u2018doesn\u2019t work\u2019 nights.<\/p>\nOkay, maybe it was just me? I\u2019d been out late the night before watching Clint Black at The Stafford Centre and up early the next morning. \u00a0We arrived at The Woodlands Pavilion early because we were excited to finally see Ray and hear him sing live.\u00a0 There was no opener and Ray started 40 minutes after he was scheduled to begin. \u00a0No explanation given and not obvious why except it was a very sparse crowd. \u00a0There were only about 3000-4000 people in attendance, a light number under any circumstance for this venue.<\/p>\n
When Ray eventually took the stage, he stood in the dark, face totally blacked out by the absence of stage lighting and his wide-brimmed hat. He had \u2018sound issues\u2019 for the first 20 minutes of his acoustic performance. \u00a0Distracting to say the least and perhaps impressive that he just pressed on as the sound guy maneuvered around him.\u00a0 But no shrug of the shoulders (certainly no apologetic grin, though, can\u2019t be sure as his face was unseen), underlined the fact the he barely engaged with his audience verbally or otherwise.\u00a0 When he did speak it was so softly that I couldn\u2019t hear what he was saying. \u00a0Having noted all of that, once Ray finished the opening four acoustic song set that included Burn, Jolene, Like Rock & Roll and Radio, and Trouble, I think he\u2019d just concluded the best part of the night\u2019s show!\u00a0 For sure this audience responded the loudest and with more interest than anything that followed.<\/p>\n
He has been touring with My Morning Jacket and they joined Ray on stage as soon as he put down the acoustic guitar. My reaction and the crowds was one of anticipation that we were shifting into the \u2018meat\u2019 of the show with these three additional musicians on stage.\u00a0 It quickly became apparent though after two or three drawn out tunes that this was not the Ray LaMontagne sound we thought we\u2019d experience.\u00a0 Most everything was so mellow\/Pink Floyd-ish and it was hard to tell when one song ended and the next one started. \u00a0All rather sleepy and dreary as the darkness theme continued.\u00a0 The set featured a large moon that sometimes morphed into other planets, this being the main \u2018light\u2019 on stage. \u00a0Clearly they were going for some effect, some image, and while it may have been theatrical it was not engaging for this crowd.<\/p>\n
Again it could have been just me having a bad night but I expected to hear LET IT BE ME and HOLD YOU IN MY ARMS. Or if these songs weren\u2019t part of the set list how about some versatility?<\/p>\n
I observed a lot restlessness in the audience throughout the show. Maybe they just needed to get up and move around as Ray and My Morning Jacket serenaded us into dreamland?\u00a0 I\u2019m giving this extremely talented artist the benefit of the doubt and saying it was likely me, not him, who was struggling.\u00a0 So forget all of the aforementioned\u2026and go see Ray LaMontagne live and buy his new record Ouroboros!<\/p>\n
Until next time remember there is no time to kill.<\/p>\n
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dwc<\/p>\n
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Written by Dave Clements I have been watching live music for all of my adult life and have enjoyed pretty much everything I\u2019ve seen. Granted, sometimes a little more than others.\u00a0 It is rare and unusual that an artist\u2019s concert performance just doesn\u2019t work for me at all. \u00a0When that has happened I generally think… <\/p>\n