David Gray – The Met – Philadelphia, PA – January 25, 2025
David Gray and his band stopped in Philadelphia for a completely sold-out show, marking the second night of the North American Past & Present Tour. I walked out of the treacherous cold and into the Metropolitan Opera House – more commonly known as The Met – with no expectations in mind. I assumed I was not David Gray's main target audience, as a lot of his popular music came out before I was born. I was taken aback by the massive crowd awaiting me inside the large, historic venue. As it turns out, David Gray has a large population of die-hard fans in Philadelphia, and they were not disappointed by this performance.
As I took my seat, vocalist Sierra Spirit entered the stage alongside Mistine, the musician accompanying her on guitar and vocals. Sierra Spirit is a Native American artist who writes soul-baring, haunting indie tunes. The duo played a brief set as the venue filled up. Their harmonies were tight and their voices light and sultry, but the set felt like it lacked some energy. This could be due to the fact that they didn't have a full band, just the two of them along with a backing track. It was only the second night of the tour, so I think she will become more comfortable and confident as time goes on.
I was shocked at the intensity of the shouts and applause as David Gray entered the stage. If you have been to The Met, you know that it is a historic opera house, so there are balcony seats up to the ceiling, and the venue is designed so that the sound bounces off of the walls. As David entered the stage, the majority of the crowd got up out of their seats to cheer for him. David and his band, who have been playing together for decades, began the show with their 2024 single "Plus & Minus". David was on keys while he sang, alongside three guitarists (two acoustic and one electric) and a drummer. I took note of the choir-like sound of the backing vocals, which the entire band took part in singing, other than the drummer. The intricacies of the different instruments layered with the choral harmonies made for a full and vibrant sound.
David got up from the piano, picked up his guitar and came to center stage for their performance of the 1998 title track "White Ladder". He looked completely engulfed in the song, dancing to the beat, which the audience seemed to love. One of the guitarists moved over to the keys, in fact, a lot of the band members kept switching instruments. I took note of the way that all of the instrumentalists, aside from their drummer, picked up multiple different instruments throughout the show, drastically changing up the sounds behind each tune. Their musical versatility really impressed me.
Gray returned to the keys for my favorite performance of the night, the song, "Singing for the Pharaoh" a part of his brand new 2025 album, Dear Life, released January 17th. David began playing the introduction of the song on the electric keys, which he joked sounded like the background music for a video game. The band's performance was an interplay between keys and a diverse array of high-pitched percussion instruments. Some of the band members picked up maracas, shakers, and other percussive elements, layering intricate rhythmic textures that enhanced its dynamic pulse. The way that all of the layering blended together created an almost electronic aesthetic, giving the impression of a studio-produced track while maintaining the raw energy of a live rendition. The energy really picked up at the end of the song, which led directly to a cover of "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode, where an excited David Gray jumped around the stage and the entire audience clapped along to the speedy rhythm.
Gray opened up to the audience several times throughout the show in a real and vulnerable way. Before his performance of the 2002 song "Last Boat to America" he told fans about the party he threw along with friends and family for his father, who was expected to pass at any day. David Gray recounted the golf tournament and disco thrown for his sick father to celebrate the wonderful life he lived. He told us about the events of the weekend, which was followed by his father's passing a few days later. After the funeral, he wrote his song "Last Boat to America." "This tour is more than a tour, it's an emotional thing," Gray said to fans, the audience applauding, appreciating his openness.
Unsurprisingly, his most popular hit song "Babylon" was a smash, all of the audience getting up on their feet and shouting all of the words. One of my personal favorite songs was "Leave Taking." The keys sounded like a horns section of trumpets and saxophones, which was very vibrant and catchy. "Corrine, Corrina," a cover of a standard by old bluesman Bo Carter, was much different than this, stripped down, focused on the somber vocals of the heartbreaking tune.
While I wasn't sure what to expect for this show, and this music isn't what I typically listen to, this was a very quality show of a wildly talented seasoned group of musicians. I really appreciated the intricate details in the music, the versatility of the musicians, and the different eras of music from David Gray's extensive discography that they applied to the setlist. I also really loved watching David Gray in his element, from his wholesome dance moves to his authentic and raw stories and lyrics. The show was a great kick off to Philadelphia's weekend of wins, the show being followed by the Eagles' playoff and pre-Super Bowl parades through the city's streets. The collective effervesce I experienced between David Gray's concert and the victorious Eagles game made for the perfect weekend.
Brenna Hallman
Copyright ©2025 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: January 26, 2025.
Picture ©2025 Courtesy of Mick Management. All rights reserved.
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