REVIEW: Jack Johnson Unites a Crowd With a Deeply Human Performance
06/24 @ SPAC, Saratoga Springs
Photos by Maggie Aulman
“He cultivates warmth through his music and charisma. It’s almost like his songs are giving the audience a big hug.”
“I might have forgotten what the second verse is and I’m killing time,” Jack Johnson quips, strumming his acoustic guitar in front of nearly tens of thousands of people, wearing worn out jeans and flip flops.
By the time I arrived and found a lawn seat at SPAC, I was shocked I didn’t miss the whole concert. I made it just in time for Johnson to open with “Mudfootball (For Moe Lerner)" and a smiling face.
My first instinct when going to a performance is pin-pointing an artist's vibe based on what people wear to their concerts. I quickly gathered Jack Johnson attracts a boho, hippie, and pastel vibe audience — perfect for me.
Switching between the acoustic guitar, ukulele and electric guitar, somehow his songs retain a familiar feel. He blends nicely with his incredible pianist who switches from the horn, to vocals, to the accordion all in one show. The two are obviously friends, which is nice to see.
Johnson's music ranges seamlessly from upbeat to mellow. His songs are all pretty simple, not requiring too much instrumentally. Each tune shares a similar feel, yet differs in the theme and melody. He’s predictable, but it’s safe. He cultivates warmth through his music and charisma. It’s almost like his songs are giving the audience a big hug.
You can tell that there's audience favorites: “Upside Down,” “Good People,” and “Better Together.” Yet, I still watched each song resonate with the people in their own way. By the end, everyone was up and dancing.
His lyrics are personal — about making banana pancakes, drawing constellations, or surfing with his friends — and they touch individuals universally. If you look around, you see it on audience members’ faces: they feel seen by him. His music is vulnerable, and that makes him seem less performative and more human.
Between hits, Johnson adds candid recollections of experiences that shaped his music. A child stepping on hermit crabs and a friend’s seasickness on the same day he birthed the track “Seasickness and Lightning Storms.” Sitting by a fire with his father and failing to find the star patterns led to writing his song “Constellations.”
And throughout, he displayed ocean backdrops to represent the importance of surfing in his career. Growing up on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, Johnson spent his whole life surfing. He continues to take trips to the ocean and finds inspiration through them. This tour is actually called “SURFILMUSIC,” promoting his new documentary about his journey from surfer, to filmmaker, to musician.
His love of surfing seems to stem from a love for the environment overall. During the concert, my friend informed me that Johnson is making strides to expand greening tour practices. According to his website, he works with venues and nonprofits to reduce plastic pollution and waste, use sustainable transportation, promote local farmers, use eco-friendly merch and take climate action through his “All at Once” campaign. He just cares.
By the way he performs, you can tell he cares about his audience, too — complimenting audience members and asking them for requests. He doesn’t perform like he’s above anyone. Actually, for “Upside Down” he called Mark Williams onstage, a trombone player that he just met in New York City that Monday, and was “jamming out with.”
“When you look in this direction, it’s a trippy thing to see this many people looking at you,” he laughed. “You see funny stuff. Some people get really stoned or drunk and are making out.”
I walked out to try and beat the SPAC crowd, and observed the audience as he closed with “Better Together.” Everyone was in their little groups, huddled up and swaying back and forth; I just couldn’t help but get emotional. Johnson's wholesome music really unites individuals and takes a weight off everyone’s shoulders for a few hours. We could use more of that in today’s world.
