Singer-songwriter Howie Day seems to have found a comfort zone on the road touring from city to city around the USA to dedicated followers over the past eighteen years. Born and raised in Brewer, Maine, the talented Day has been making a name for himself since the late 1990’s and saw his big break into the mainstream spotlight with 2003’s Stop All the World Now. Now a recognized name on contemporary Pop and Alternative radio platforms, Day continues do what he does best, and that is perform live. Making Long Island a regular destination in his travels, Day returned to the beautiful The YMCA Boulton Center in Bay Shore, NY Thursday October 9th with support from Toby Lightman.
As spectators found their place in the intimately set venue, Philadelphia, PA’s Lightman took to the stage. Having toured consistently since her debut album Little Things in 2004 Lightman has built a following along the way and Long Islanders have made her feel at home each time she comes to town. Beginning her set with the title track off her fourth album “Every Kind of People,” Lightman’s passionate and soulful voice filled the room, shrinking the size to that of a personal coffee house. All smiles, she played on through songs like “My Sweet Song” which was in fact featured in the film P.S. I Love You (2007). The relaxed casual mood continued as Lightman made jokes and conversed with the audience, telling stories behind each song. Painting a picture with words and reflecting on the time she wrote “Devils and Angels” nearly a decade ago, the song resonated beautifully. Showcasing more new pieces like “Bumps in the Road,” the set concluded with the cleverly written 2010 track “Front Row.” Showing she has plenty of great music left in her still at a very young age, Lightman’s Every Kind of People album is a must listen at this point in her career.
Following Lightman’s performance it was time for Day to take the stage. Surrounded by his signature setup of guitar pedals, Day redefines the term one-man band. Building a reputation as a performer that needs to be seen in living color to truly understand his brilliance, Day began strumming his guitar and singing in an honest inviting tone. Mixing his older fan favorites like “No Longer What You Require” with some exciting new songs such as “Treetops” and “Make Peace,” Day showed that he always knows how to keep fans on their toes and offer a fresh set list. Engaging and humorous as always, Day’s personality brought the evening to new heights as he brought laughter to all.
He took the time to bring life to each song with no sense of rush and his usage of guitar pedals matched by a complementary keyboardist by his side was as stunning musically, as it was visually. Running through more thought-provoking compositions that everyone can relate to in some way or another, Day received a warm ovation from this dedicated audience until the last note. Day’s mix of instrumentation and honest lyrics simply is some of the best out there. While a more mature man from when he broke onto the scene with hit single “Collide” a decade ago, Day shows he is merely scratching the surface on a career that hopefully will last for years to come.
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