Train’s “Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour” rolled into Darien Lake during the first week of its run. The band consists of original members Pat Monahan on vocals, Jimmy Stafford on guitar and Scott Underwood on drums. The stage had stairs that the band could walk down and take a trip into the crowd. Monahan did exactly that for the song “Get to Me.” Monahan addressed the crowd by saying “there are no other people like the people here in this area.” He also went on to say how he grew up an hour and 15 minutes away, in Erie, PA, and understands what type of people we are.
The band did a medley of Beatles’ songs including “We Can Work it Out” and “All You Need is Love,” which sounded different but it worked well into what they had going on in the set. They had original co lead singer Ashley Monroe on the track “Bruises.” She also got to perform her own song “Weed Instead of Roses.”
For the track “Mermaid,” the band released a bunch of beach balls and had women and girls dressed up in mermaid costumes accompany them onstage. The band played eight (8) tunes off of their 2012 release titled “California 37.” The songs worked well live and the crowd’s attention span didn’t stray during any of them. That really is a true test of songs that the crowd may not be familiar with and that test was passed.
Opening the show were Gavin DeGraw and Michael Franti & Spearhead. I really want to focus the next section on one of the most exciting bands you never heard of, Michael Franti & Spearhead. I got to see this band live last year for the first time and they totally blew me away. Franti and his band took their music right to the people, and what I mean by that is that they spent most of their time in the audience singing in front of people. It’s tough to classify Franti in one genre, but you if you must classify it, call it fun loving music that certainly brings out the best in people.
Franti brought up a couple who won a contest to dance with the band on stage for the song “Life is Better With You.” The man unexpectedly proposed and the woman accepted. It was quite a moment and the crowd went nuts. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Frantic can do with a headlining slot and not just an opening spot. Franti pushed this bill to new heights and the small crowd definitely got its money’s worth!
Train Set List:
Calling All Angels
50 Ways to Say Goodbye
If It’s Love
Get to Me
Meet Virginia
Feels Good at First
Marry Me
Save Me, San Francisco
Free / We Can Work It Out / All You Need Is Love (The Beatles covers) Mermaid
Bruises (with Ashley Monroe)
Weed Instead of Roses (Performed by Ashley Monroe) Drum Solo
California 37
Hey, Soul Sister/Can’t Hold Us (Macklemore cover)
Drive By
Encore:
We Were Made for This
This’ll Be My Year
Drops of Jupiter
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Gangsta Girl
The Sound of Sunshine
I Don’t Want to Go Nowhwere
Closer to You
Life is Better with You
All Night Long Ain’t Long Enough
Hey Hey Hey
I Don’t Wanna Go (with Gavin DeGraw)
I’m Alive (Life Sounds Like)
Say Hey (I Love You)
We would like to thank Lynn McDonnell from Livenation for her assistance in helping BackstageAxxess review the show.
