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        Goo Goo Dolls >> Goo Goo Dolls >> Light of Day Review!
        
(Message started by: Shannon on Nov 3^rd, 2008, 10:22am)

Title: Light of Day Review!
Post by Shannon on Nov 3^rd, 2008, 10:22am

A night of Light
by Jay Lustig/The Star-Ledger
Monday November 03, 2008, 10:31 AM

DAVID GARD/THE STAR-LEDGER

At Saturday's Light of Day benefit concert at Asbury Park's Paramount Theatre, Jesse Malin referred to the musicians who participate, every year, as "big circle that keeps growing." He wasn't exaggerating.

Since debuting in 2000, this annual concert series, which raises money for Parkinson's disease research, has indeed developed an ever-growing core group. Five of the six acts that presented full sets on Saturday -- Malin, Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers, Marah, Willie Nile, and Joe D'Urso and Stone Caravan -- have been Light of Day mainstays from the start, or have begun participating enthuastically along the way. The same goes for the artists who presented acoustic mini-sets during the nearly six-hour show.

The big circle expanded significantly with this show. The headliner was John Rzeznik of the band The Goo Goo Dolls, a group with major pop hits as well as impeccable indie-rock credentials. (Malin noted that he first saw them perform when they opened for The Replacements at New York's Beacon Theatre.) At this show, Rzeznik brought along only guitarist Brad Fernquist, a touring member of The Goo Goo Dolls since 2006.

They basically presented an unplugged version of a Goo Goo Dolls set, performing songs like "Stay With You," "Without You Here," "Broadway" and "Slide." "Iris," presented as a full-throated soul ballad, was particularly impressive. Rzeznik also participated in the evening's closing jam, though his contributions consisted mainly of holding out a microphone so that audience members could sing along.

It wasn't like more was needed from him at this point. More than 30 people -- show participants, as well as other musicians and friends -- filled the stage for this joyous final segment, jamming on "All Along the Watchtower," "American Girl," "Twist and Shout" and the Bruce Springsteen song that gave the event its name. (Springsteen has played at many past Light of Day shows, but couldn't make it this year.) Grushecky led the way, calling out chord changes for those who needed them.

One of those onstage for the jam was Bob Benjamin. A Highland Park resident who manages Grushecky and other artists, and has Parkinson's disease, Benjamin is the founder and primary organizer of Light of Day. This year's shows (a second concert took place yesterday at the Stone Pony) constituted a giant birthday party: He turns 50 today.

Light of Day has raised more than $750,000 over the years, and Saturday's concert was its biggest event yet, as well as its first theater show. Between band sets, a curtain came down, and singer-songwriters such as Bruce Tunkel and Rob Dye performed two or three acoustic songs in front of it, until the next band came on.

Billed second, Grushecky and the Houserockers presented a set of bracing bar-band rock, capped by a song Grushecky co-wrote with Springsteen ("Code of Silence"), a long, celebratory "Down the Road a Piece," and a stripped-down take on one of Southside Johnny's signature songs, "I Don't Want To Go Home."

Malin and Nile both offered gripping, raw-nerved sets. Malin played some of his own brisk, catchy songs ("Prisoners of Paradise," "Wendy," "Black Haired Girl") as well as an evocative cover of The Replacements' "Bastards of Young." He was also responsible for some of evening's most outrageous political comments, referring to the Bush administration as a Nazi regime.

Nile, backed by Grushecky and the Houserockers, ranged from his anguished anti-terrorism song "Cell Phones Ringing (In the Pockets of the Dead)" to a propulsive cover of The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated."

Performing as a drumless, three-piece group, Marah presented drasticallty overhauled versions of its own songs ("Barstool Boys," "Angels on a Passing Train") as well as a cover of the bitterweet standard, "Autumn Leaves." "It feels great to leave the rock 'n' roll to the other folks tonight," said frontman Dave Bielanko.

Throughout the evening, musicians casually walked on and off the stage during each others' sets. D'Urso, for instance, sang on "Cell Phones Ringing (In the Pockets of the Dead)," and Nile strolled out in the middle of "I Don't Want To Go Home" and sang along. Keyboardist Christine Smith played with both Malin and Marah, and added accordion riffs to "I Wanna Be Sedated."

There will surely be a collaborative spirit, as well, when Malin, Marsh, Nile and D'Urso embark on a nine-day Light of Day tour in Europe, later this month.

Jay Lustig may be reached at [email protected] or (973) 392-5850.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2008/11/a_night_of_light.html

Title: Re: Light of Day Review!
Post by JohnnysValentine on Dec 27^th, 2008, 12:01pm

I wish I was there! Sounds like it was an awsome show!

Lauren

Title: Re: Light of Day Review!
Post by lionhill on Dec 27^th, 2008, 6:51pm

on 11/03/08 at 10:22:15, Shannon wrote:

Rzeznik also participated in the evening's closing jam, though his contributions consisted mainly of holding out a microphone so that audience members could sing along.

Hahah, that is such a John thing to do.