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Travis didn’t take the stage the way I’d expect a mellow-sounding Brit-pop band to do it. Instead, the theme from Rocky blared over the speakers as the band, each member clad in a boxing robe, made their way from the back of the 9:30 Club through the crowd up to the stage, high-fiving fans all the way. I’ve never seen that before, and I’m pretty sure I got a high-five from lead singer Fran Healy!
Anyway, I was very impressed by Healy’s soaring, effervescent voice from the opening lines of their leadoff number, “Selfish Jean.” I had never seen Travis live before, and Fran (or “Franny,” as my flag-waving neighbors called him) could really get his voice up there to nail those high notes throughout the evening. He’s a character with a good stage presence, which is helped out by a thick Scottish brogue that Sean Connery himself would be envious of.
Overall, I’d say Travis put on a pretty solid show, with a strong arsenal of catchy little melodies and earnest lyrics, though some songs seemed to sound vaguely similar after awhile. Of course, I’m not overly familiar w/ the Travis canon, only owning The Invisible Band. I wouldn’t say that Travis really rocked, but they managed to keep a decent energy level going, thanks to the pounding bass drum stomp rhythm that kept people bouncing during most songs.
I did enjoy the subtle lead guitar work of Andy Dunlop, and was happy to see that he survived his much-labored climb up to the balcony of the 9:30 Club for a second-story solo. Other highlights included the band gathering around Fran (above) to group-sing “Flowers in the Window,” and Andy busting out the banjo for the fan-favorite “Sing.”
Watch: “Closer” Video
Photo Credit: J. Americ Pasco (Heroboy)