When we heard John Butler Trio was coming to Toronto months ago, we made sure we had our eye on the prize! This was a concert not to be missed, John Butler's guitar playing is very reputable to say the least, Nicky Bomba a stellar drummer, and Byron Luiters a funk happy bassist. The band is only 3 piece, but it sounds amazingly full. I first found out about them through my taste in similar bands and musicians, immediately fell in love with the original instrumental tune 'Ocean' and told everyone I knew.
If we are being honest, odds are that you’ll never have heard of the John Butler Trio. Contrary to this glib fact (which we have now made moot point), they’re not some unknown little band playing mid-sized pubs, clubs and jazz festivals. John Butler, Nicky Bomba and Byron Luiters are huge players Down Under, as in gold and platinum album huge. They’re the biggest band in Australia, beating even Aussie veterans AC/DC with a breath- taking blend of rootsy rock and roll, funky rhythm and blues. They are on a North American tour right now, winning over audiences city by city.
The event being held at Sound Academy, it had that by-the-water vibe, as the doors opened with a sizable lineup waiting happily. The all ages audience of beautiful people took to the back patio for some cold beverages, hot eats and sizzling conversation while waiting for the show to begin. Tall cans of Amsterdam were $6.50, Rolling Rock $7.50 and food was also very reasonably priced and feedback was positive.
Mama Kin opened the show with her blend of sultry and sassy sounds. She is also someone relatively unheard of in Canada, but she holds a unique and fullstruck female fury in her small frame. I really am stuck on her voice, its very smooth and yet cutting. Her song "Bringing To My Table" is an instant hit to the ears. Mama Kin- Danielle Caruana- is also John Butler's wife, they have two children and reside in Fremantle, Austalia, where John began as a busker playing his own compositions.
John Butler Trio took to the stage at 9:30 sharp and took a visible hold on the audience from moment one. There was a bit of room for a few dancers who wanted to go for it fully at the very back, but the crowd was sucked to the stage like it was a vortex of energy. The people pulsed with the rhythm of the music. They smiled with heads swinging back to the heavens in musical bliss at the extremely uplifting words, riffs, beats and melodies, almost saying with their eyes "Are you seeing/feeling this???". We spoke to many people from Australia and around the world, and found it so interesting to see so many ages and cultures in attendance. Many groups had one or two folks who were fans, and brought along 6-8 that had become fans by the time we spoke. 'Funky Tonight' and 'Ocean' definitely were greeted by thunderous applause but the whole night was really a JBT love fest. A lot of people after the show were still buzzing about this version of 'Ocean', a song which keeps evolving to the joy of his fans. All of us were so happy to have been there, and many stuck around chatting revelling in the echo of such a great performance. A circle of Aussies did stretches and laughed, and we joined in for fun.
These amazing musicians are advocates of peace, environmental protection, and global harmony. He has supported The Wilderness Society and the Save Ningaloo Reef campaign. In 2005, Butler and Caruana co-founded the JB Seed grant program now called The Seed to support artistic expression and encourage the "social, cultural and artistic diversity in Australian society". The couple contributed $80,000 to establish the project.
For those who missed their show, their seventh album John Butler Trio Live at Red Rocks was released just this past weekend. A double-CD with a bonus DVD of the show, it was recorded at Colorado’s Red Rocks, made famous when U2 played there. It was beamed live to millions of fans across the globe on the net and made it the band’s biggest-ever gig.
~Melissa Johnston
For more John Butler Trio live concert photos, check out the gallery at Flickr! Fresh from the media pit.
For more John Butler Trio live concert photos, check out the gallery at Flickr! Fresh from the media pit.