Last month Sarah and I got to see a long-awaited concert at the Paramount Theater downtown Denver.  David Gray is my favorite artist, perhaps next to Coldplay's Chris Martin.  While this was my 5th DG concert, it was nice to attend one with my wife for the first time - especially since I was known to steal a few lines from The Man during our courtship.  I guess I owe him. 

For those not sure who David Gray is, you've definitely heard his biggest hit, Babylon, if not others like This Year's Love or Please Forgive Me.  These are all from my favorite album of all-time, White Ladder.  It remains the biggest selling album ever in Ireland (he's actually from the UK).  Yes, even more than any album by a little band called U2.  Most people think this was his first album, but it was actually his 4th.  Dave Matthews sort of discovered him for America, signed him to his new (at the time) record label (ATO Records), and made him a radio sensation with Babylon.  His two albums since haven't quite matched White Ladder's mega success, but they are brilliant nonetheless. 


Showtime.

DG started with an acoustic set, beginning with his original song that put him on the map in Europe.  The sweet chords of Shine were recognizable in the way his guitar was tuned, and the fans knew it was coming at the first warm-up strum.  Babylon was also included early, so his arsenal has grown plenty, as he didn't have to save that bullet for later.  David just released a Greatest Hits album, so the show was built around that playlist - mixing the old simple guitar chords with the more artsy, complex, full sound of his newer songs.  The only disappointment of the evening was a kaleidoscope-like ending to Nightblindness that lasted about 8 minutes too long.  He also seemed a little miffed at his Chicago-Denver-L.A. back-to-back-to back schedule.  He made several jokes about it, but he still gave a typical soulful performance.  And you can't beat the encore with an extended Please Forgive Me to close out the show with a bang.


No cameras allowed, so I had to sneak this one with my phone.

Most artists have one component of their talent that does it for them.  It is either their voice, music, or "soul" (ie, they sing it like they mean it!)  In my opinion, nobody puts all three together like David Gray.  His honey-sandpaper voice is instantly recognizable.  He is known for his guitar, but is even more talented on piano.  And few artists have more soul.  You believe every word he says, even though his more recent poetic lyrics are a bit hard to translate.
 
If you haven't explored D.Gray past Babylon or the White Ladder album, his Greatest Hits (which includes 2 brand new songs) is a must-have for your iPod.  It's a great sampling, which will leave you craving for more.  Thankfully, you'll find it in 5 other amazing records, and rumor is, another is in the works.  New albums for DG AND Coldplay in '08?!?  "My oh my."