David Gray

Photos and review by Jennie Book
@jenniebookphotography

David Gray turned Oakland’s Fox Theater into a giant salon the evening of February 10th, transforming what’s usually a giant tiered general admission pit into a seated hall, which let everyone in attendance concentrate on and appreciate the talent of Gray and band in a relaxed way.

The night started with opener Sierra Spirit, a young Oklahoma-born singer who performed with only one guitar-playing bandmate plus a backing track, which was an understated way to kick things off. Spirit has been compared to Phoebe Bridgers and Ethel Cain, and after her eight song set, which included a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep,” it was clear she’d gained some new fans.

David Gray then took the stage with a full band behind him, and the sold out crowd full of folks roughly his own age were joyfully hypnotized from the start. Here in Oakland he played 21 songs plus a three-song encore, touching on hits spanning back to his seminal 1998 album White Ladder like “Babylon” and “Please Forgive Me,” which have stood the test of time and sounded great live, and resonated strongly with the adult crowd. Gray has spoken in interviews about how he recorded White Ladder in his house, and how while writing its songs he was talking to himself about himself. That sort of personal storytelling has always endeared him to his audience, and White Ladder’s status as one of the top selling albums of all time in the UK speaks to that.

A fun moment early in the set was the band performing “Singing to the Pharaoh” which then slid into a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough,” where Gray hopped up from his keyboard and stood front and center clapping enthusiastically. The audience loved it, and sang along and danced in their seats.

Gray’s Past and Present World Tour runs through August where it will wrap up in Belfast, and if you’re a fan don’t hesitate to see more than one performance– Gray is a rarity in performers in that he regularly mixes up his setlist each night so that you’ll hear something a little different each time. For all the latest go to www.davidgray.com.