Air waves to the heat waves , Sirius XM ’ s The Coffee House Live Summer 201 7 tour made a stop in Phoenix Arizona at the Crescent Ballroom ; The tour featured Joshua Radin with special guests Rachael Yamagata & Brandon Jenner . The bleacher seating was full and people had arranged themselves at the edge of the stage . Packed in and awaiting the show , small talk ensued ; some people were there for one artist or another and all the while in anticipation of a self-imposed heart wrenching emotional evening .
Brandon Jenner , Barefoot and an acoustic guitar , started his set with a self-introduction of hello and a thank you . Quickly capturing the hearts of many in the room as he mentioned having a baby at home , to which “ awww ” could be heard all the way around . I was pleasantly surprised and entertained by his voice ; warm , soft , genuine and soulful . The audience enjoyed and encouraged him to continue after an interruption by an overzealous young lady leaving her screech on the looping machine . Funny enough she was booed by the audience and Brandon Jenner continued with a smile rounding out his set . His music will nestle into your heart like an old friend . 201 6 Jenner released ‘ Burning Ground ’ a very down to earth family oriented video . Much like his video , he is a down to earth guy ; hope to see more of Mr . Jenner in future concerts .
Rachael Yamagata is an Indie , Alternative singer , songwriter and musician ; she was accompanied by musician Michael Chavez . The pair began the set and as I glanced around to see people ’ s faces you would have thought they just ate something amazingly delicious . Michael Chavez on drums helped serve up the platter as Rachael Yamagata strummed the guitar for a few songs then moved on to the keys of the piano . Between songs she spoke of not being in a relationship and for sure not dating anyone from the tour .
Relationships seem to be a storefront theme for her music for which the audience bought . Off to the side of me I over hear someone comparing her raspy voice to that of Janis Joplin and another person added Melissa Etheridge . Ms . Yamagata does have a raspy , soulful and sexy voice that adds that secret ingredient to her lyrics . Her work spans back to 1 999 with the band Bumpus . She has a long list of notable works from singles ( Worn Me Down ), EPs , contributions ( Jason Mraz , Mandy Moore , Katharine McPhee ) studio albums ( 201 6 Tightrope Walker ) as well as film and television shows ( 201 4 The Appearing , 201 0 Dear John , 2007 & 2008 The L Word ). No matter if her songs were of love , love lost , heart break or a middle finger the emotions and message of empowerment resonated from her delivery . Check Please !
Joshua Radin , songwriter , singer and an acoustic pied piper of the heart strings . Joshua Radin stepped onto the stage , played a few songs and then invited Brandon Jenner and Rachael Yamagata to join him . The room dimly lit creating a “ just for me ” moment as they sang , there weren ’ t any special effects or backgrounds , just the music . Radin took his time and engaged the audience for energy and support to which they accommodated . He continued to sing and play all the while ; couples doing what couples do in public places . Radin has had multiple albums spanning back to 2006- We Were Here and in 201 7-The Fall . Radins body of work has extended from television ( Scrubs ), movies ( Dear John , The Last Kiss ), albums , EPs , singles and compilations . Joshua Radin is the reason we love�movies about love ! A story is just a story , now add his voice and lyrics and its now a dream sequence .
Add a pint of ice cream a comfy t-shirt and the night was complete !
by Jenny Kaufman