The Ray LaMontagne concert at Comerica Theatre on Wednesday night brought real emotion that allowed an intimate connection between the artist and the audience — a connection that started with LaMontagne’s opening band, The Belle Brigade.
The Belle Brigade, a duo of Barbara Gruska, who plays guitar, drums and sings, and Ethan Gruska, who plays piano and guitar and sings, eased the audience into their seats with the atmosphere and energy of their song “Ashes,” the first track off their 2014 album, “Just Because.”
They wasted no time with cliché greetings. After hearing the thump of the bass drum, I was immediately drawn in to the dynamic rhythms that these multifaceted musicians created.
Before the band’s fourth song, when the blue stage lights centered in on the drum set, Barbara Gruska broke out into a bold one-minute drum solo that would have jolted awake anyone who was in a slump that day. She sang while keeping a steady drum groove throughout each song, which is rare to see.
Unlike a typical lineup band, The Belle Brigade played for an entire hour until singer and songwriter Ray LaMontagne came on. The Belle Brigade also performed as LaMontagne’s band in this concert — they have been touring nationally with LaMontagne since March.
Ray LaMontagne and The Belle Brigade have many overlapping styles, so the combination makes perfect sense. It made for a very interesting concert.
Both artists were able to evoke raw emotion and connect with the audience on a more personal level. “Losers” is one song that truly hit home for me, as I can completely relate its themes to my own experiences. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
The lyrics “Don’t care about being a winner, or being smooth with women, or going out on Fridays, being the life of parties” immediately brought a smile to my face. It seems to protest the whole idea of conformity, stating that being true to oneself and being an outcast is much better than acting a part just to fit in.
The group blends pop, folk-rock and layered vocal melodies, similar to classic rock bands such as Fleetwood Mac and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Though The Belle Brigade emulates these artists, the band still resonates an original and likable sound with its well-structured songs.
Many of LaMontagne’s songs are upbeat ballads that ring of love and heartbreak. Some are more sentimental, and a few seem to convey a darker mood of melancholy and regret.
One of the most powerful things about the concert was LaMontagne’s voice itself — it is, alone, an instrument, a deep, raspy whisper that creeps under your skin.
When he played the song “Trouble,” the crowd cheered and sang along. The lyrics “Worry, worry, worry, worry. Worry just will not seem to leave my mind alone” may normally sound depressing, but in the context of this song, their heavy rhythm was empowering instead.
At times, the backdrop on stage honestly reminded me of the iTunes visualizer. What looked almost like a moon coming at me burst into flames that were constantly morphing into thousands of different psychedelic colors and designs.
With all the trancelike harmonic melodies added to the mix, some moments were reminiscent of the ominous song “The End,” by The Doors, due to the enigmatic instrumentals.
“Airwaves,” a song off of LaMontagne’s most recent album, “Supernova,” was one of my favorite songs of the night because its catchy clean guitar riffs gave off a relaxing vibe, making me feel almost as if I were underwater.
After the last song, “Jolene,” the whole band left the stage. Soon enough, however, they all returned for an encore. After all, the crowd was cheering for one for at least a good three minutes.
Contact the columnist at Oren.Simchy-Gross@asu.edu.
