Crowded House

So I did something the other day I haven't done in forever: I saw a concert. Last spring I saw Coldplay with Richard Ashcroft but it was at the Wachovia Center and while the music was fantastic and light show out of this world, the experience itself is like being at Penn Station in NYC - crowded, loud and a tad intimidating.

But Friday night I had my ticket to see Crowded House perform at the Mann Center. I'd heard good things about the Mann. It's tucked back in Fairmount Park (all of 5 min. from my alma matter) and even the drive and parking experience were a delight. As it turned out, the Mann Center is quite possibly the cleanest outdoor venue I've ever witnessed and while the acoustics might have been a bit better for opener Pete Yorn, they proved terrific (despite being an outside amphitheater) for Crowded House.

2 hours and 2 encores later I left, throat slightly raspy from the bizarre cold weather that graced us and from singing my heart out to Don't Dream it's Over, Something So Strong, Weather with You, and ton of other hits. I love that the band was decked out in suits...love that they not only engage with each other on stage, but invite the audience in as well. I was surrounded primarily by people in their 40s but scattered among them were still tons of young folk like me. An unpretentious band playing for a fun unpretentious crowd.

Besides the Mann, I also visited World Cafe Live earlier that day since they were on 88.5 WXPN's Free At Noon show. This would be a treat - intimate setting, a few songs to get me in the mood for the evening. If you didn't catch it, NPR posted the show on their site. In the meantime, I'm scouring You Tube for some video of the Mann Center concert. Someone had to have taken some footage. It was truly a great concert.