An Evening With JAKE SHIMABUKURO - Event Review from Seattle, WA 2/19/18
Jake
Shimabukuro
Benaroya Hall
Seattle, WA
2/19/18
Greetings,
On Monday the 19th of February, also President's Day in the
U.S., the master of the ukulele, Jake Shimabukuro, performed at the prestigious
Benaroya Hall in Seattle, WA. Jake,
along side Dave Preston on guitar and vocals and Nolan Verner on bass, arrived
to a blistering cold snap by Seattle standards.
But the cold outside couldn't stop the heat inside as the trio performed
a two-hour set of music to a very appreciative audience.
Having seen Jake live two times previously, I knew what I
was in for, or so I thought. Any
musician like myself recognizes other musical talent when they see/hear
it. It doesn't matter what genre or what
instrument, musicians recognize other quality musicians. Jake has firmly planted himself into a
category that is really his to lead in any way he sees fit. Yes, there are other ukulele players out
there but Jake's rise to fame has him squarely in front. And knowing Jake, after spending some time
with him during my interview, he would be the first person to scoff at such a
notion. As an incredibly kind and
gracious person, he would never proclaim himself the best or even a master of
the ukulele - even if his fan base would say otherwise. Humble and accommodating to his fans - Jake
is where many musicians wish they were - in a position to explore new musical
and artistic forms of expression.
At 7:30pm, Dave and Nolan walked out on to the bare Benaroya
Hall stage to polite applause. Moments
later Jake walked out to loud applause as the trio prepared to perform. Having started his solo career in 2001, Jake
has a lengthy catalog of releases to pull songs from. His latest being, "The Nashville
Sessions", which came out in 2016, the set list spanned much, if not all,
of Jake's career.
The audience was treated to a few new tunes as well from
Jake's forthcoming record - due to be released later this year. The title track (I believe it was titled,
"A Great Day" but don't quote me on that) was an extremely melodic
composition - one that instantly stood out to me.
The beauty and challenge of performing in a venue like
Benaroya Hall (home to the Seattle Symphony) is that the acoustics are so
dialed in, as a musician you have to be on your game, as it will shine a spotlight
on any mistakes you make on stage. There
really is nothing to cover up a mistake.
Either you perform at a high level or you don't. Jake, Dave, and Nolan were spot on the entire
night. There is definitely a musical
chemistry between the three of them, Dave being the newest musician to join
Jake on tour. The interplay and
improvisation at times was magical to behold.
You can't really manufacture that - it happens when certain musicians
work with other musicians. But, once you
find it - whoa - the results are amazing.
Jake spoke between songs politely and humorously at times,
engaging himself to the audience as he always does. From the mixture of unpleasant tones to the
untrained ears of, "Tritone" to the visualistic and cinematic sounds
of, "Go For Broke" (dedicated to the men and women of the armed
forces, particularly those Japanese Americans that fought during WWII), Jake
and the guys played each tune effortlessly, like the professionals that they
are.
"Piano Forte", a haunting rendition of, "Hallelujah",
as well as a lengthy jam on, "Dragon", complete with looping kept the
set moving at an enjoyable pace.
Nolan and Dave exited the stage mid set or so to leave Jake
to perform a few songs solo - which was reminiscent of his earlier tours when
it was always Jake solo. This was a nice
change of focus and it only reinforced just how good Jake is on the ukulele.
Of course there were a few known cover tunes worked into the
set including, "Eleanor Rigby" early in the set, "Free
Falling", and the main set ender of Jake's arguably most known cover,
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps".
The set wasn't over yet as the band returned to perform the
(now) audience sing-a-long cover of Queen's, "Bohemian
Rhapsody". One fan near me tried to
hit that high note before the meaty metallic Brian May guitar riff kicks in -
"meeeeeeeeee" - and failed miserably.
I laughed good naturedly as did others around me, as it was clear
everyone was having a great time. This ended the show on a high note as the set
truly flew by. The two hours felt more
like an hour - and that my dear readers is always a sign of an amazing event.
This was by far the best of the three performances I had
seen from Jake. Partially due to the set
list and the length of the show.
Partially due to the venue as Benaroya Hall is a spectacular venue for a
show of this kind. But most of all due
to the musicians on the stage - Jake, with Dave and Nolan, is a keeper. I am eager and intrigued to see where this
trio goes next with their musical endeavors. Hopefully they continue to work together and
create stellar music and performances like we were privileged to witness in
Seattle on Monday evening.
Jake Shimabukuro started everyone's week off right in
Seattle with his (and his bands) performance.
If you were there, then you're already smiling and nodding your head in
agreement with that statement. If you
weren't, then perhaps next time you'll be able to make the show and experience
an artist at the top of his game - and still climbing.
Cheers!
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts
Special Thanks:
Nichole for the credentials - I sincerely appreciate it! Your professionalism and warm approach to
getting everything set up highly reflects on how you handle your business as
well as the artists you represent like Jake.
Thank you so much!
Special Thanks: To
Jake, Dave, Nolan, and crew - I have never been more welcomed to cover a show
than I was on Monday night. It was much
like experiencing the best customer service you can get at a favorite
store. I was taken aback by your
openness, kindness, and all around good natured-ness before the show.
Welcoming me backstage while I interrupted your meal,
offering me food more than once, asking me about myself and showing an interest
in why I was there, talking shop about guitarists (who knew Zakk Wylde - who
was performing on the same night at the Showbox SoDo - and Dave played together
on Zakk's acoustic tour), watching videos snippets of a great guitar player on
Jake's phone after the interview was over, etc.
I don't overlook or forget those types of things. It showed how classy you guys are but more
importantly it showed how great you are as people.
Again, thank you for everything. Safe travels on the rest of the tour and I
hope to catch up with you all the next time you're in Seattle. All the best!
Eclectic Arts Video Interview with Jake!
(please turn up the volume on your device)
(Click On Any Photo For A Better Quality Image)
Jake performing LIVE in Seattle!
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