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| Train's Pat Monahan @ Shoreline on June 15th, 2019 (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Pat Monahan's vocals soared with the breeze that blew over the
Shoreline Amphitheater last night, taking the near capacity crowd on a journey through 20 years of music from Bay Area natives,
Train. The double-bill also featured the
Goo Goo Dolls and show opener
Allen Stone, an R&B singer who's been making a name for himself over the past 10 years or so, including an appearance on American Idol just last year.
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| Train's Pat Monahan @ Shoreline on June 15th, 2019 (Photo: Kevin Keating)
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After the release of their debut self-titled album in 1998, Train saw critical and commercial success over the years -- first with hits such as "Meet Virginia" and "Free", and then with their biggest hit, "Drops of Jupiter" in 2001. Others followed, including "Hey, Soul Sister" and "Calling All Angels" -- and the band won multiple GRAMMY awards along the way. Although Pat's the only original member of the band left, he surrounded himself with other Bay Area natives including: guitarist Luis Maldonado, keyboardist Jerry Becker, bassist Hector Maldonado, drummer Drew Shoals, and background singers Nakita Houston & Sakai Smith.
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| Train's Pat Monahan @ Shoreline on June 15th, 2019 (Photo: Kevin Keating)
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The house lights dimmed at 9:15pm and the sound of a locomotive began to chug away in the dark... A few lone lights flashed brilliantly on the stage as the sound of the train got louder and louder, and in the cover of darkness, the band quietly made their way to the stage. Suddenly the sound of the train stopped, the stage lights blared, and Pat Monahan sang out: "I need a sign, to let me know you're here", the opening line to "Calling All Angels." The crowd erupted and the energy didn't dissipate for the next hour and a half.
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| Train's Pat Monahan @ Shoreline on June 15th, 2019 (Photo: Kevin Keating)
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The production values were top notch for an amphitheater show and included everything from an extensive light display and video wall, to confetti canons and pyrotechnics.
Highlights from the show included a duet with Allen Stone on "Bruises", Johnny Rzeznik joined the band for a cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl" that closed with the chorus from "Free Falling." And a cover of Queen's "Under Pressure" that featured surprise guest vocalist, and another Bay Area native,
Matt Nathanson.
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| Train's Pat Monahan @ Shoreline on June 15th, 2019 (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Periodically throughout the show, Pat would pause to tell a story about the song they were about to perform. Like the song "When I Look to the Sky" which he spoke about how he wrote the song at his home in Petaluma when he was thinking of how the power of music can bring people together, and that he hoped the song would do the same.
At a time where social media is so ingrained in everything we do, Pat graciously took selfies with about a half dozen audience members -- asking them to throw their phones up to him on stage. And proceeded to fire off t-shirts into the crowd during "Meet Virginia."
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| Train's Pat Monahan @ Shoreline on June 15th, 2019 (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Overall, Pat sounded great -- his voice still as vital and dynamic as it was 20 years ago. The backing band was superb as well, and the setlist was a greatest hits of Train's catalog across the years.
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| Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls @ Shoreline on June 15th, 2019 (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
I'd be remiss not to mention The Goo Goo Dolls set... Founding vocalist Johnny Rzeznik and bassist Robby Takac, were supported by touring Dolls: guitarist, Brad Fernquist, keyboardist Jim McGorman, and drummer Craig Macintyre, as they also took us down memory lane with their biggest hits that included "Slide", "Name", and "Iris." Like Train, the band put on a capable set which lasted about an hour, but appearing earlier in the evening meant the band couldn't incorporate the light show and production values of the Train performance. Rabid fans of the Goo Goo Dolls will love the set, but as only a casual fan, it felt as if Johnny's vocals weren't in top shape and the band needed to encourage the crowd who arrived early to get engaged with the music. Either way, the combination of Allen Stone, the Goo Goo Dolls, and of course, Train, made for a stellar evening of GRAMMY award nominated and winning pop rock at Shoreline. If you're reading this from outside the Bay Area, be sure to check the
tour schedule and don't miss this show if they come to your city!
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