Songs by Jack Johnson sound like the soundtrack to a laid-back summer night, so it made perfect sense that the sympathetic songsmith came to perform his mellow music outdoors at the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House on a comfortably warm evening.
Just by walking along the stands at the venue, it was easy to see that it was a Jack Johnson concert; the former surfer is known to be environmentally conscious, and he had no less than six stands on display to promote different environmental charities.
The humble Hawaiian brought some friends from the islands along with him as support acts. Paula Fuga kicked off the evening, sitting on a chair with her sunglasses on during the whole performance. Unfortunately, as people were only just starting to arrive at the venue, she played most of her set to a sea of empty seats.
Next up was John Cruz, a renowned songwriter from the island of Oahu. The performer has been around for many years, and was an avid member of New York’s Greenwich Village folk scene. His renowned reputation hasn’t reached Australian shores yet, but after his stint supporting Johnson, this may change.
Cruz delivered great, inspired songwriting that echoed the excellence of James Taylor and Paul Simon. The dark-haired singer finished his set with a touching tribute to the late Nelson Mandela, referencing multiple Bob Marley songs.
While waiting for the main act, the audience enjoyed the harbour scenery. As soon as Jack Johnson took to the stage, it became clear that he was also taken by the location.
“You know it’s going to be a good gig when you can take a boat to the gig, and this is the first time we’ve actually done that,” the likeable singer said before telling the crowd how much he enjoyed being in Sydney with his wife and kids.
As soon as the sun went down, the lights went up; the stage was beautifully lit with warm colours that enhanced the intimate vibe of the concert. But aside from the lighting, one should expect no frills at a Jack Johnson concert. The big, friendly vocalist took to the stage armed with a guitar, catchy songs, a beautiful voice, and a warm smile. And sometimes that is enough for a great evening.
Johnson’s rhythm section remained faceless for most of the gig – with the exception of a surprisingly great Beastie Boys-style rap from bass player Merlo Podlewski during the groovy ‘Staple It Together’. The band member that stood out the most was the lively keyboardist Zach Gill, who was a terrific singer and a gifted multi-instrumentalist.
Throughout the night, Gill showed off his versatility on instruments such as the vibraphone, melodica, and steel guitar. He even danced around the stage during a frenetic accordion solo – making one of the most out-of-fashion instruments look cool again.
Towards the end of the night, Johnson brought his support acts back on stage where each performed their trademark song. Fuga was first and delivered the excellent track ‘Country Road’ with a passion that would’ve added to her earlier performance.
It was then time for John Cruz to lead the band into a rendition of his Hawaiian evergreen tune, ‘Island Style’. It’s an absolute mystery why this catchy song hasn’t been used in commercials for Hawaiian holidays.
Aside from seven songs from Johnson’s latest album From Here To Now To You, the emphasis was on material from the Brushfire Fairytales and In Between Dreams albums (the ones that contain most of the musician’s biggest crowd pleasers). Singalongs like ‘Flake’, ‘Bubble Toes’, and ‘Better Together’ were all welcomed with a deafening response by the enthusiastic audience. It’s rare to witness a crowd so loud and going nuts over songs that are so mellow and laid-back – only at a Jack Johnson concert.
