Ray Lamontagne '05
After a nice and quiet first part, here they come, Ray Lamontagne and his musicians. Although being quite a big venue, the Scala transformed itself in a small, intimate place as soon as the musicians started to play.
The mix of violins, cellos, drums, double bass and Ray’s acoustic guitar was just a perfect match.
When you see him arriving, he is a tiny, shy boy. You would never expect him to have such a beautiful voice and such charisma on stage. But that must be the thrill of being on stage. When he performs his songs he is just so into them and gives it everything he has, expressing all the emotions suggested by the lyrics.
His hoarse voice is very sensual and hypnotises you. He actually hypnotised hundreds of people that night. You could hear the air conditioning when he was playing his last song. Between the tunes you see a totally different person: he barely speaks to the crowd and when he does, you scarcely hear him. Another tortured artist and poet who expresses himself through his music. And when he does... Believe me it is amazing.
Some people in the audience were screaming his name or shouting "Ray you're great!". The only answer they got was a whisper. The artist himself is touching and mysterious. You look at him performing his songs, trying to see who he is, but you forget the idea as it might take away the whole magic. You just enjoy what you see and hear.
Twice during the show his musicians left the stage. At those moments the stage was transformed and you felt like in an acoustic unplugged gig.
You can not help comparing him to Janis Joplin in the 70's or for those of you who do not know who she is, to a certain extent a male version of Tracy Chapman.
The songs, although being slow put you in a very good mood. You just feel relaxed and happy. His music is soft and sweet, perfect for a romantic night out with your partner or just for you to enjoy and appreciate.