Ray LaMontagne was inspired to quit his job and begin a career as a singer-songwriter after waking up one morning to the radio on his alarm clock playing the Stephen Stills' song "Treetop Flyer”; he began performing in 1999, while maintaining a part-time job as a tutor, and he hasn’t stopped since.
Now, more than 15 years later, he is performing in Brooklyn, for a Benefit Concert. Here’s your briefing on the Venue, Vibe, and the Voice behind it all.
The Venue- The concert was at the Prospect Park Bandshell. It is an outdoor venue that is half grass and half concrete filled with picnic blankets, great food, and a chill atmosphere. It is in a great area of Brooklyn and the park itself is lovely! I had a nice FULL tour of it while I was lost (multiple times)!
The Bandshell partners with local purveyors and organizations to provide great food and handcrafted goods. For food I ate from The Farm on Adderley. It was made quickly, the customer service was great, and the food was perfectly seasoned. I had a delicious meal--- I took the 3 for $18 deal and had parmesan and garlic fries, a kale salad, and lamb over rice. *They also provide service from other sponsors such as The Good Batch (a Brooklyn based pastry company) and Etsy (for handcrafted goods). For 21+ viewers, they serve alcohol all night long.
Outside of the gated doors there were many people that were hearing a free concert. It was fun to see all the groups of people having picnics and laughing on this nice summer night. If you are on a budget this is a great idea to witness the sounds of a concert- just pack a blanket and sit right outside the stadium’s doors.
The Vibe- Because of the type of concert, the crowd was older and therefore calmer. I first sat on the left side of the stage and when Ray came out my side stood, while the right side remained sitting. So, like any lazy person would, I transferred to the right side. There I found more of my type of crowd – people who were lightly clapping as they were nodding their heads gently. My decision was definitely right.
The Voice- Ray LaMontgne was an interesting performer. He has an amazing voice and can hit all different notes. And while he was widely talented throughout his vocal keys and instruments, he wasn’t much of an entertainer.
Ray reframed from saying hello and joking. The only commentary he made throughout the whole concert was “it’s nice to see you all. Thank you for coming. And when I say that, I mean thank you for being here for me. You've changed my life.” His lack of personality wasn’t a bad thing, just different from the usual Justin Bieber or One Direction – in my opinion, his voice and lyrics did all the speaking – which was very refreshing.
He first came on alone and after maybe 5 songs (his classics and/or most popular) his fellow band members came on. In my professional opinion, when the other men came on, the concert lost its spark. At that point, the concert turned to a more repetitive beat. The “songs” (songs in quotes because of the lack of singing) were lengthy and all blended together with the same sound.
A conclusion to your briefing of the Ray LaMontagne concert at Prospect Park Bandshell:
The Venue- bring a picnic blanket and money for drinks and food.
The Vibe- great.
The Voice- amazing but got a little boring once more people came on stage.
For more on…
Future showings/more information: BRICartsmedia.org #AtTheBandshell
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