By Tanya Batson, Staff Reporter
ON WEDNESDAY night The Gleaner had the thrilling (and rare) experience of going to a concert where only a single song from the performer's repertoire was known, yet came away quite satisfied. The occasion was the Jann Arden show, held at Beaches Grande Sport in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.
For most Jamaicans the name Jann Arden probably means nothing. From a few, when you prod by suggesting the song, Insensitive you will get the response, 'Oh, that's who sang that song!'.
The concert was a part of the 'Breakfast on the Beach' series which was created by CHFI Radio in Toronto. The series was created by the station in commemoration of their birthday. For approximately six weeks, listeners to the Bob (McGee) and Erin (Davis) morning show got the chance to win a trip to Jamaica and attend the Jann Arden concert, which was produced by the station as a part of the concept. Seventy winners were brought in, staying at the different Sandals properties. They made up the core of the audience.
Vicky Belfiore, productions director of CHFI, noted that 'Breakfast on the Beach' will be annual event, which will move around the varying Sandals locations across the Caribbean. She noted that Arden, who is a multi-platinum artiste in her homeland, Canada, was selected because of her popularity.
That this was not mere propaganda was shown at the end of the performance, when Arden received a standing ovation.
Although the band was small, featuring only Russel Broom on guitar, Lyle Molzan on percussions and Arden also on guitar, the show lacked nothing. Between her very poignant songs, usually about love, Arden kept the audience laughing with various witticisms, ranging as far (and strange) as kitty litter.
Arden's ironic wit came to the fore as soon as she hit the stage. "I thought we would be playing to four to five people and there would be 33 really drunk people on the beach," she told the audience. "We'd look like a 12-piece band to them."
Nonetheless, despite the lack of drunkenness, she certainly pleased her audience. She opened with Sleepless from her latest album, Blood Red Cherry. The first few strains of the song showed that she had selected an audience favourite, because it was greeted with much applause. This song was followed up with Never Mind from her Greatest Hurts, which is a compilation of some of her most popular songs.
Impressed by the response she was receiving, Arden decided to butter-up the audience. "This is the nicest gig I've ever had in my life," she said. "You guys should be on cakes." Realising that the last sentence probably made no real sense she laughed and pointed out that she had no clue what she meant by that.
This revelation only warmed the audience to her even further. Despite the lack of meaning behind the statement, it somehow seemed to inspire Arden to diverge into performing Margueritaville. This attempt only led to more comedy, however.
Broom, who has played with Arden for around 10 years and has also co-written some of her songs, started the song off in too low a key. What resulted threw the audience into stitches. Rather than simply have him correct it, Arden decided to drop her voice several levels and did something of a frog imitation.
After this bit of fun was over, the right key was found. Unfortunately, the lyrics were not. "This is just one of a litany of songs that we don't know that we'll be playing for you," she told the increasingly amused audience.
With a return to music came the return to seriousness, although this would only be temporary. Arden and her small acoustic band then performed Could I Be Your Girl, a song which deals with the paradoxes of love. Then, showing some musical dexterity, Arden called for a reggae version, which her musicians switched to effortlessly. While it would not make it as a hardcore reggae tune, it could certainly pass muster.
Returning to the Blood Red Cherry album, Arden then performed Waiting In Canada, a song which is being used for to promote Canadian tourism. She then introduced I Would Die For You. Without naming the tune, Arden revealed that after writing the song she had thought it to be the 'happiest, rock and rolling' song she had ever written. This belief was changed when she played it for her neighbour, who was moved to tears. Her neighbour's reaction to a song with the words:
I've never seen this kind of love
The kind that won't wash away
And then leave you in the dark
I would die for you (3x)
is not particularly surprising.
For the close of her show, Arden pulled out her really big guns. Starting her final section off with Insensitive, she then moved to Unloved, before ending with the song she had written for her 'nutty parents', The Good Mother.
For the encore which was demanded, Arden dipped into music history and pulled out To Sir With Love.
It was a great end to what had been a very delightful evening.
