On Sunday, May 14th, John Butler brought his solo act to Boston’s House of Blues to a room full of eager fans who hadn’t seen him since the pre-pandemic.
John is California born, but has spent most of his life in Western Australia. In 1998, he formed the John Butler Trio, which is active to this day. The alternative rock band infuses reggae, roots rock, and funk into their ever evolving catalog, with Butler’s lyrics often referencing his progressive political views, his family, and respect for the land and people that came before us. On this North American tour, John is out solo. Just him, his acoustic guitar and harmonica, and plenty of stories to tell.
John walked out to an eager and excited crowd, but like many times before, had some words before jumping right into the music. He paid his respects to those who walked this land before us, (In Boston, it would be the Massachusett tribe, with the Wampanoag just to the south). He also took a minute to remind the crowd that he’d be going into some deep topics over the evening, and reiterated respect for all.
It’s amazing watching Butler captivate an audience with just him and his guitar. The (mostly) seated crowd was fully attentive the moment he started playing, but it was ‘Better Than’ early on in the set that brought a lot of the crowd to its feet for the first time. The song which opens the 2007 album ‘Grand National’ has become a staple at many of his shows. ‘Revolution’, from the same album, was also played, with John singing:
“Running through the fire, running through the flame,
Running through the hatred, pushing through the blame,
Running through the hopelessness and shame,
Revolution already underway”
The song was a true marvel, with Butler and his ability to use a small machine to loop six or seven sounds and effects using only his guitar and voice, creating the illusion of a full band that filled the air.
The true highlight, of course, is ‘Ocean’, an instrumental piece and staple at Butler’s live shows. The song somehow tells a story without words, and gets a standing ovation, paying respect to Butler’s ability to move up and down the fretboard while also playing percussion on the body of the guitar.
Other highlights of the show included 2001’s ‘Betterman’ and ‘Coffee, Methadone, & Cigarettes’, the 2018 track where John sings about watching his Dad live through pains both physical and mental.
It’s quite a feat to watch someone control an audience while never really leaving their seat, guitar in hand, but somehow Butler pulled it off. After saying goodnight and leaving the stage, Butler returned for the classic ‘Pickapart’ of his earliest hits.
John’s North American tour continues through May, before bringing it to Europe the following month.
Listen to John Butler here!
Catch John Butler on tour here!
