Review: Ray LaMontagne at the Wellmont

(Credit: Christopher Seiz)

For a quiet guy, Ray LaMontagne can fire up a crowd.

The raspy-voiced singer-songwriter from Maine kicked off his spring tour at Montclair's Wellmont Theate on Tuesday, March 31, and the sold-out house was full of fans who really showed the love: the frequent shouts of "We love you, Ray!" were an odd contrast to LaMontagne's reserved stage demeanor.

The Providence, R.I. folk rock band The Low Anthem opened the show with an entertaining nine-song set. The three band members rotated among an array of instruments that ranged from standard (harmonicas, clarinets, electric guitars) to delightfully whacky (portable pump organ, scrap metal drum set, cymbals played with a violin bow). They played songs from last year's "Oh My God, Charlie Darwin" and from 2007's "What The Crow Brings," as well as their own takes on a few traditionals and a foot-stomping, up-tempo version of "On The Road," a track from an album cut in 1999 by Jack Kerouac, Tom Waits and others.

It was LaMontagne that most of the people in the packed house were there to see, though. The rumble of talk gave way to a resounding cheer as he took the stage with bassist Jennifer Condos, drummer Jay Bellerose and phenomenal pedal steel guitarist Eric Heywood.

LaMontagne managed to bring to the stage the diverse styles of his three albums, rocking back and forth between the joyful soul sound of "You Are The Best Thing" to the quiet, just-a-guy-with-a-guitar agony of "Burn."

A high point was "Meg White," which, with a heavily strummed beat and the absence of trippy atmospherics, lost some of the creep factor of the song's album version.

The best song of the night, though, was the bouncy, hoedown-worthy "Hey Me, Hey Mama." Heywood joined in on the chorus, and his froggy bass was a great addition to a song that's about as close as LaMontagne gets to goofy.

The rowdy crowd clamored for several minutes to get an encore, but LaMontagne and the band didn't disappoint, rounding out the show with a full-band version of "Three More Days." Then, as a quiet send-off, it was "Gossip In The Grain," the title track to his 2008 album.

When the house lights finally went up, it was to disappointed groans. Devotees can console themselves with another set though; tickets are still available for another LaMontange show Thursday at the Wellmont.