Recently, my lifelong friend Lisa and I went to see singer/songwriter Marc Broussard perform at the Lowell Summer Concert Series. I loved this musician before that night, but seeing him live has taken it to a much higher level!
Due to rain, the show was moved from Boarding House Park to the Lowell High School Auditorium nearby. I would have loved to have been outside under the September stars but will not complain about the rain. The venue was very close to full except for the balcony and I would guesstimate 500-600 in attendance – more about the crowd later.
The opening act was a trio named Spring Standard from NYC. They were “interesting” to say the least. Not my type, but got respect from the crowd.
Marc came out and said “Evenin’ Ya’ll!” and began his set. He said we were going to have fun and were all going to party. During the course of his 90-minute set he became increasingly happy, relaxed, rowdy, funky and the crowd went nuts for him. He was talkative and we loved his New Orleans accent (must have said “Ya’ll” a dozen times.) His voice was clear and strong, very soulful, and he looked like he was having so much fun.
Marc told us that he didn’t know what he was going to play (no set list) and folks started calling out tune requests. He said to the “Home” shout out, “We’ll do ‘Home’ later on.” A little while later he mentioned not knowing what to sing next and during a lull, I shouted “The Beauty Of Who You Are” (LOUDLY) and he responded “We could do that!” He sang my top two faves – the one I “requested” and “Gavin’s Song” (as his encore) along with crowd favorites “Home,” “Love And Happiness,” “Rock Steady,” and “Come Around.” He highlighted each band member with an intro and solo moment. It is very apparent that this man loves him family, his home, and has much respect for his bandmates. The guitar player was performing with them for the very first time (from Boston) but you’d never know it! In addition to the songs we knew, he performed three songs from the new CD, Keep Coming Back, which will be released on September 16.
The biggest surprise of the night was the crowd. They were amazing and it was sooooooo nice to be among fans who loved the music and were on their feet begging for more. The crowd was REALLY into it and not only did they not mind if you stood or moved around for a better vantage point, they ENCOURAGED IT! Many fans filled the aisles 3/4 of the way through the evening and at least 50 people came down to stand right in front of the stage for Home. Marc loved it and came right to the edge of the stage and wailed, feeding off the energy and giving it all back. There were three women in front of us and in-between the opening act and Marc, they turned and asked me how I learned about Marc’s music. They said none of their friends have ever heard of him and wanted to know how I became a fan. I had to mention Taylor Hicks and the fact that I would not even know of Marc, Toby Lightman, Anthony Hamilton, and more if not for Taylor and his fan community.
I’d like to encourage everyone to check out Marc on his website, http://www.marcbroussard.com/home.cfm or his myspace http://www.myspace.com/marcbroussard. He’s definitely worth getting to know. And don’t forget about the new CD coming out on September 16.
Here’s a little taste of Marc from the other night singing “The Beauty of Who You Are.” Enjoy!