Joshua Radin performed last Sunday night at Warehouse Live. Also performing were Grammy-nominated Vanessa Carlton and solo artist Alexa Wilkinson.
Radin performed songs from his new album Unclear Sky, which is due out in late August, as well as songs from his first record We Were Here. Radin kept up a flirtatious banter with the crowd, who were obviously excited to see him in concert. His music, while mellow and relaxing, is not dull, and has been featured on Scrubs and in the movie The Last Kiss, starring Zach Braff.
He opened his set solo with the song "Everything’ll Be Alright." During the second piece, the other band members slowly walked on stage, joining Radin at various parts throughout the song.
His accompaniment consisted of a cellist, pianist, guitarist, drummer and a double bassist/guitarist named Johnny to whom the crowd sang "Happy Birthday" at one point. He also performed songs from his new album, such as "I’d Rather Be With You," "Lovely Tonight," "The Fear You Won’t Fall" and "You’ve Got Growing Up To Do."
Performing before Joshua Radin was Vanessa Carlton. Playing on a piano, Carlton opened with "Ordinary Day" from her first album Be Not Nobody, and performed crowd favorites such as "A Thousand Miles" and "White Houses."
Her set also featured songs from her newest album Heroes and Thieves, which Carlton said was inspired "while caught in a massive rainstorm in New York City." The title track of the album was, in fact, the only song she ever wrote "away from the piano, fully in my head," and while caught in the rainstorm, she said. The piece "Home," featured a strong piano ending, and left her audience very impressed.
She closed with the piece "More Than This," also from her newest album. It is based on a Buddhist theory about how "craving more than what you have… creates utter chaos and unhappiness," Carlton said. Her new batch of songs, written "almost all in a row" she says, reflect a transitional period of personal change. And, while she considers herself to be a "work in progress," she is still a musical force to be reckoned with.
The opener for the evening was Alexa Wilkinson. Playing solo acoustic guitar with a surprisingly strong voice that should carry her far, Wilkinson performed songs such as "Miles Away" and "Lions." The crowd chattered through the majority of her set, clearly waiting for the later artists, but quieted for "Hitchcock in the Afternoon," a song about an ex-boyfriend. She closed with "Moonriver," accompanied by the cellist and a guitarist from Joshua Radin’s band.
Performing for a good-sized crowd, these artists were a perfect choice for a Sunday night concert. Not loud enough to make ears ring at work early the next morning, and not calming enough to put one to sleep, Joshua Radin, Vanessa Carlton and Alexa Wilkinson are artists perfectly suited for unwinding after a long day or an even longer weekend. The tour moves next to Nashville, Tenn. and will wrap up in mid-August.
