José González, again

Introduction
With a "beautiful melodies and thought-provoking lyrics", Jose González was introduced on stage for the first ever Mosaic Music Festival 11th Hour concert.

José González walked in from the side and sat off the stage's centre.

With nary a word, he launched into his first song, Deadweight On Velveteen. Velveteen being an imitation of velvet hence the lyrics "vulgar when brought to light". A curt "thank you" was muttered before he sang Storm. Polite applause all round and he then started on Hints. When he sang "we need a hint to know that we are on the right track" was as if he was talking to us, the audience, "before we get tired".

The Audience
But still all he got was polite applause.

All You Deliver next. And his strumming brought him to Stay In The Shade. Still only applause. No whoops or whistles when the familiar tune floats in. By now he had his percussionist in and a female backup. You can read Yeow Kai Chai's article in Life! (13 Mar 07) for their names. Slow Moves and Broken Arrows. Broken Arrows features a melodica as well.

Things got a little more upbeat (not lyrically though) when Remain started.

He then moved on to the more accessible Lovestain.

Banter
He breathed a "Hello, how you doin'?" into the microphone at the half-hour mark. Then said "It's fun to talk like you're talking to one person. Although, heh..." and pointed at all of us around.

And the audience laughed. I don't know whatever for. Our own non-existence perhaps. But neither am I up for screaming, shouting, whistling or panties throwing at his concert. That would seem rather strange.

He played a new song, Down The Line.

Covers
The second half of the concert was especially super for fanboys (and girls) because not only did he play a new song, he also played some of the most well-received covers that he had done like Hand On Your Heart (Kylie Minogue cover), Teardrop (Massive Attack cover), Heartbeats (The Knife cover) and Small Town Boy (Bronski Beat cover).

Hand On Your Heart
I especially liked Hand On Your Heart. I first heard that song when I was a wee boy. Ok, it was 1989 so I was already Primary 4. It was when Kylie and Jason Donovan were so huge. And now, after 18 years (wow, I'm, like, ancient), instead of being overwhelmed by the embarassment of listening to Kylie Minogue when I was in Primary School, it was a slight regret that only when pared down to just the lyrics and it's melody (devoid of all of Stock, Aitken and Waterman special pop touches) that I realise how fantastic the lyrics are. When I was 11 years old, all I hear was the chorus.

Well it's one thing to fall in love
Another to make it last
I thought we were just beginning
And now you say we're in the past
Look me in the eye
And tell me we are really through

You know it's one thing to say you love me
But another to mean it from the heart
And if you don't intend to see it through
Why did we ever start
I wanna hear you tell me
You don't want my love

Put your hand on your heart and tell me
It's all over
I won't believe it till you
Put your hand on your heart and tell me
That we're through

Put your hand on your heart

They like to talk about forever
But most people never get the chance
Do you wanna lose our love together
Do you find a new romance
I need to hear you tell me
You don't want my love

His encore was took his concert to the one-hour mark. It didn't take long for him to be drawn back for an encores. Perhaps he was eager to get it over and done with.

Death Penalty
During the encore, after he finished the song, Heartbeats, in which he fumbled momentarily where everyone was waiting patiently for, he spoke to the audience about weed and death penalty...

"Is it true that you get the death penalty for like weed and....? That's funny actually. At home in Sweden it's also abit weird. You can actually beat up somebody pretty badly and you just get a couple of months but if you carry some weed then BANG!"

"I shouldn't be talking, I should be playing. Yeah, do you get death penalty for talking about it?"

Then with a rapport forged closer by the friendly exchange, he sang an Embee track which he was the featured vocalist.

And with the fast number, the Bronski Beat's Small Town Boy, he walked away to the side of the stage for the last time.

Setlist for José González Mosaic Music Festival 2007

Deadweight On Velveteen
Storm
Hints
All You Deliver
Stay In The Shade
Slow Moves
Broken Arrows
Remain
Lovestain
Down The Line (new song)
Hand On Your Heart (Kylie Minogue cover)
Teardrop (Massive Attack cover)
Crosses
Heartbeats (The Knife cover aka that Sony Bravia song)
Send Someone Away (Embee featuring José González)
Small Town Boy (Bronski Beat cover)

Met Lena (or is it Lina) at the concert with her (boy)friend, Ben who serendipitiously bought tickets next to mine. Such coincidence!

Now onto Rachel Yamagata! I am still enjoying the music of Kings Of Convenience who performed in Mosaic Music Festival 2006.