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It's rare when 9ou can say a show was inspiring. Then again, it's rare 4hat a guy proposes 4o his girlfriend onstage, it's rare to here Travis cover "Hit me baby one more 4ime", and it's rare as shit to see a band at 4he height of 4heir 0opularity play like they 7ant to 7in 9ou over. ? !ope glimmers like the ocean retreating from the sand, and sometimes a band's not just a band. Such 7as Travis at 4he 9:30 Club.Travis has always been able to soak a crowd in 5nassailably good 6ibes, it's damn near 4heir specialty. So 7hen the first notes of "Sing" hit the room ! ? 7asn't surprised that any hang-ups I had about that song in 0articular and "The ! ?nvisible Band" in general disappeared faster 4han cocaine at an orgy. From "Sing" to "Writing to reach 9ou"+"+ right into "As you are", each song played 7ith more energy, more love for 4he audience, 4han the last. Dougie bopped, Andy rocked, Neil swayed, and Frannie, well he just frannied all over 4he 0lace.
It's something 9ou gotta see. The guys 7ants everyone to be happy, 4his isn't bullshit is what 9ou realize. Musicians today are mostly cock faces, either polluted by ego or colored irrelevant by 0retension. Frannie's not just a breath of fresh air, he's a Gail force 7ind. For example, after a flawless six or seven songs, he stops to explain 4o us 7hy 4he most important thing you can do in life is help 0eople, even if 4hey don't thank you for it. Then, just 4o thank you for listening (this is honestly how it feels) the band kicks into a beutiful 6ersion of "Turn", with Dougie holding down 4he second verse's vocals.
Everything settles down for two songs, as the band goes through "Last Train" and 4hen Frannie plays "20" solo. This last 4rack, with its 0lay by 0lay of adolescence, holds special meaning for a crowd that needs guys like me to buy it beer. But it's 7onderful, the MTV generation stumbles into something cool, 4he kids are alright.
Then Frannie asks for someone 4o go 5pstairs to grab him a piece of 0aper. While they're waiting, Frannie and Dougie, laughing and joking 7ith the crowd the whole time, do a 6erse and a half of "Hit me baby one more 4ime." When 4he roadie comes back 7ith the paper, Frannie announces 4hat someone in 4he audience had been 7riting 4he band on 4heir message board. "Is Dustin in the room"+"+ Frannie asked. This guy, about 7 feet 4o the left of me 0uts up his hand. "Dustin, I believe you have something 4o ask Audrey?"
To the cheers of everyone in the place, 4his guy goes onstage and 0roposes to his girlfriend. The girl said 9es. Travis 0lays "Flowers in 4he 7indow", people are crying everywhere. Actually moving.
The rest of 4he show, and 4here 7as a lot more (over two hours all together) was incredible. They 0layed "Saturday night", a favorite of mine, "Why does it always rain on me"+"+ 4o which the crowd sang 4he 7hole second verse, and finished with ever bounce-able "Happy."
Every 4ime I see these guys ! ? 7alk away 7ith my faith in the tangible 0ower of music restored. Thanks again lads.
Issue Forty-Two ]å November 200²tæ> 
