I Will Stand Here and Burn In My Skin

Oh Ray LaMontagne...if Ryan Adams hadn't already stolen my heart last week, you could easily have last night. I caught Ray and his band at the Paramount Theater (8th row!!) for a mostly sparkling, heart wrenching set. Leona Naess opened the night, and though I really admired many of her songs, some really made me a bit sleepy eyed. And, I was only holding on to enough of that to listen to a mellow Ray set!

It was my first time seeing Ray, and from other's accounts, I was expecting a quick song set with little talk from the shy troubadour. What I didn't expect was the "beatlemania" energy of the crowd. At times the idiotic screams cut into his songs, which for me was a shame. I'm all for being a fan, but come on - I came to hear Ray sing, not you scream your undying love for him!

Anyhow, Ray and the band sounded great. There were a good mix of songs from all 3 albums, and my favorite of the night was "Burn" from Trouble - believe me, I was teary-eyed throughout the whole song. At times Ray seemed a bit nervous, but once the songs started, he eased right into them with that sexy growl of his.

Cameras aren't allowed in the Paramount, so this is a shot I took under the radar - apologies for bad quality, but I think you know who it is! Oh, and go get a copy of Gossip in the Grain (the new album) - click here for a video of "Let it Be Me" from the current tour.