Why So Blu?

Daughtry Rocks Out Live

This past April 1st was no fool’s day, as rocker Chris Daughtry and company were in Cleveland performing in front of a capacity crowd.  I’m still utterly dumbfounded when I mention Daughtry’s name (referring to either the man himself or his band’s namesake) and I still get retorts of “I don’t know” or “I don’t watch American Idol.”  I wasn’t alive during the late 1700’s but I still know who George Washington is.  My point is, I don’t watch the show either, but somehow through the magic of reading or some other kind of awareness, I know who the guy is.

The former Idol contestant wowed television audiences across the States and then shocked them as the likely favorite was eliminated prematurely and finished the season in fourth place.  That season’s winner, Taylor Hicks, has nearly fallen off everyone’s radar (though he currently tours with Grease) while Daughtry is now part of a musical ensemble that’s front and center in the rock n’ roll genre.  It just goes to show that winning isn’t everything.

The evening’s plan was two opening acts, the first of which was a band called Cavo.  Before April 1st, I knew nothing of this band.  Heck, I never even heard of them before, and as opening acts go, I’ve seen a whole lot more bad than good.  Cavo was the latter.  The band’s fluid, solid sound was enough for me to end a discussion in the venue’s concourse so I could grab my seat and catch this impressive group.  The St. Louis-based band provided a rhythmically entertaining performance though it was short-lived… such is the case with the limited time given for an opener.  While they have been labeled as a hard rock band, I would have to drop the ‘hard’ and just call them what they are; a rock band.  That’s no knock against them.  It’s just calling a duck a duck.  By no means does it diminish their level of talent.  After all, I plan on buying their album before the weekend is over.

The second act of the night was the more widely known Lifehouse.  Their lead singer, L.A. native Jason Wade, provides the vocal delivery through the band’s more mellow tunes like ‘Broken’, to the quicker ‘Hanging By a Moment’ to the more rockin’ ‘Here Today Gone Tomorrow’ off their new album Smoke and Mirrors.  Lifehouse, for the most part, is what I tended to think of as a mild rock band with admirable success.  Although, I was a bit off on the mild part as this band really hammered home some of their tunes on stage.  Wade even took a moment between songs to address the Cleveland audience and express his fandom for Cavalier superstar LeBron James, hoping he remains with the team after this season.  That says a lot coming from a Laker guy!

Then came the evening’s headliner; Daughtry.  A massive white sheet shrouded the stage in secrecy as it stretched from floor to ceiling.  The theme from Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman blockbuster filled the air as lights danced about behind the curtain.  As four silhouettes became visible, the crowd erupted with a verbal resonance derived from their adrenaline-laced anticipation.  The massive curtain dropped as the band simultaneously initiated their set with an explosive intro.  As lead singer Chris Daughtry unleashed his music into the mic, he rocked its stand in rhythm with the song and it became obvious that this guy must be a big Batman fan.  The stand’s base was the Batman logo.  Hey I want one and I can’t even sing.

The band played radio favorites such as ‘Feels Like Tonight’, ‘No Surprise’, and a very slightly altered version of ‘It’s Not Over’.  For me, I’ve always enjoyed the band’s sound but for whatever reason, never made a run to the store to buy their albums.  That has changed as of today.  Concerts are the perfect opportunity to hear all of what a band has to offer and in Daughtry’s case, hard rock tunes such as ‘You Don’t Belong’ and the ballad ‘September’ perked my ears to music I could feel.  It’s got substance.  It’s got drive.  It even gets a little angry at times and for all that, I am onboard.

The band even covered Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’ along with Billy Idol’s ‘Rebel Yell’; both of which received rousing approval from the audience.  During their encore, there was a highlight of the band’s bassist, Josh Paul and the unreal talent and stage presence he brings to the table.  Before it was all over, even Lifehouse’s Jason Wade joined Chris Daughtry as the two shared the stage in a crowd-pleasing dual-performance.  The light display that accompanies the band’s sound is nothing short of luminescent brilliance and Chris Daughtry closed the evening by thanking all the fans for spending their hard-earned money on coming to see them.  That says a lot about that guy and for $39 a ticket (not including the ludicrous $11.65 Ticketbastard, I mean Ticketmaster fee), it was three top shelf performances for a great price.

The next time Daughtry comes to your area, I highly recommend grabbing a few tickets to the show.  People are so quick to dismiss the band without hearing their work once they are aware of Chris Daughtry’s association with American Idol.  Give me a break.  It goes along with the old adage, “don’t judge a book by its cover.”  Daughtry delivers a high energy performance that is one wicked treat for the eyes and ears.  As far as live performances go, this one was in my top ten of all time.