After a short break, and changing a few things on the sparse stage, Phil Vassar was introduced. He came out wearing his usual black t-shirt and jeans, and sat down on his elevated stool and started playing the bluesy "Black and Whites," from his album Shaken Not Stirred. He thanked everyone for coming and then continued into "In a Real Love."
Phil said that his sound guy was celebrating a birthday today, and asked everyone to give him a hand. He then dedicated the next song to him, and said it was especially appropriate, since the guy just turned 30. With that, he launched into "My Next 30 Years," which is a song he wrote for Tim McGraw.
Time to warm things up, "Sixpack Summer" came next, followed by "I'm Alright," which he wrote for Jo Dee Messina.
Phil is very warm and outgoing and chatty. He remarked, "The more you drink, the better we sound." He again thanked us for coming out to the show. From there he sang "The Last Day of My Life," and "Just Another Day in Paradise."
Back to some cover tunes that he wrote, he performed "She Was Mine for a While," which was a hit by Tim McGraw, then one of his own, "Carlene."
By this time, there was a line of fans (mostly females) standing next to the stage, and several of them were openly flirting with Phil. Then, some of them must have been asking him to sing different things, when he started into "Summer Nights" from the movie Grease. I was suprised that this group of girls seemed to know most of the words. Many people in the audience did. Phil had a lot of fun with it, singing the "uh huhs" to the audience singing the other parts.
Phil said the next song is about a girl that was pissed off at him. The song that followed was the song made popular by Collin Raye, "Little Red Rodeo."
"American Child" was next, followed by Phil's current single, "Love is a Beautiful Thing." He said the album, Prayer for a Common Man will be out in April.
He seemed about ready to leave, when he went back one more time to the piano and said he couldn't leave without a little "Hot Tub." That of course is the song "I'll Take That As a Yes (The Hot Tub Song)."
Then, again, it seemed he was through and he went back and played one last song, "Joe and Rosalita." After shaking hands and signing a few autographs for the people up by the stage, he finally did leave the stage.
Wow! Great show! I can't believe it was free. I think Phil must have thanked people for coming at least 6-7 times. He truly was happy to be there, and appreciative that people came out on a Sunday night to see him play. He thanked Jennifer Hanson as well.
They had to fly back to Nashville that night, and were coming back to CA on Wednesday, so if you're out west, and Phil and Jennifer are coming to a venue by you, go and check out the show. They really do give you every bit as good a show as you would get if you paid for it. Great time!
Song List:
- Black and Whites
- In a Real Love
- My Next Thirty Years
- Six Pack Summer
- I'm Alright
- The Last Day Of My Life
- Just Another Day in Paradise
- She Was Mine for a While
- Carlene
- Summer Nights (from Grease)
- Little Red Rodeo
- American Child
- Love Is a Beautiful Thing
- I'll Take That as a Yes (The Hot Tub Song)
- Joe and Rosalita