For a concert that’s as calm as the still waters of an empty pond, you sure don’t expect a crowd to be trembling with excitement. And with Jack Johnson’s reputation as one of the most relaxing acoustic musicians of the decade, you’d certainly anticipate a laid-back live show. But somehow, the most chill dude ever managed to incite screams and ear-to-ear grins from a Blossom Music Center audience that ranged from tweens to grandparents. It must be Johnson’s magic touch – an ability to turn a cold, rainy Cleveland night into a sunny Hawaiian paradise – that gives his fans an instant happy-go-lucky vibe. As if his songs about living life to the fullest weren’t enough to warm the hearts of every fan, he brought along six TV screens that beamed photos of waves, birds, and palm trees behind him …
This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2008.