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Gavin DeGraw
Gavin DeGraw
January 14, 2005 @ The Fleet Center
 In
an effort to entice new fans to come out for Celtics games, the folks at
The Fleet Center (working title), along with local radio station Kiss
108and Verizon Wireless, put rising star Gavin DeGraw on a miniature stage
behind one of the nets for a musical double shot. With his sparklingly
soulful vocals and angular piano work, DeGraw wowed the halftime crowd
with his hit single "Wanna Be." Though the muddy guitar lent edge to what
began as a pianistic solo rendition, the vocal pile-on robbed the chorus
of its individualistic anthem. When DeGraw and co. came back after the
game, however, the mix was much more balanced, coursing from the
rollicking changes of "Crush" to soulful funk of "Chemical Party" and the
arresting love song "Baby I’m a Cop." Though a medley of "Papa Was a
Rolling Stone" and "Proud Mary" lost some of Gavin’s younger fans (many of
whom were to be found singing every other lyric), the unbalanced duet with
Celtic center Walter McCarty of "Follow Through" got everyone together and
the groovy closer "Chariot" (the title track to DeGraw’s recently
platinum-ed debut album) carried them away. Now if only the Celtics could
find such winning ways!
- Matthew S. Robinson
© 2000 M. S. Robinson, ARR |
