It’s 7:55 pm on Saturday, October 22, 2016.
The stage at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts in Toms River, NJ, is set with a mandolin, two acoustic guitars, a drum set, and two amps with microphones hanging from them as the audience awaits the entrance of American Idol Season 9 runner-up Crystal Bowersox.
The small but devoted audience of folks from ages eight to eighty politely applauds as Bowersox makes her entrance on stage.
“You’re such a well-behaved audience,” she says smiling.
Waving her eight-year-old son Tony’s Pokeman stuffed toy — Charmander — Bowersox discloses to the audience, “I stole him.”
Then, she throws the toy into the crowd directing the folks who catch him to take a photo of themselves with Charmander and post it to Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media platform. That way, she explains, Tony — patiently waiting for his mom at home — can know exactly where she’s performing tonight.
Welcoming her devoted fans, Bowersox introduces her band — The Double Ds — featuring David Freeman on vocals and mandolin and Derek Louis on vocals and percussion. At this point, Bowersox straps on an acoustic guitar and a harmonica and performs her song, “Sunshine Brighter,” her crisp, clear bluesy voice earnestly ringing out, “You make the sunshine brighter; I do believe it’s true.”
Following appreciative applause, Bowersox reveals, “This is my first time in Toms River, NJ. Thanks for showing up.”
She breaks into a song which she dedicates “to all the lovers in the house,” “Mine all Mine.” Accompanied by the pretty plinking sound of the mandolin, intertwined with the twangy strumming of the guitar and delicious vocal harmonies provided by David and Derek, together they sing, “Please play your guitar, sing me a song/I don’t care if the words are all there/Or if the chords are all wrong/I just want to lay here and listen/And give you my kissin’ for soon I’ll be gone.”
“I’ve been writing a lot of new songs,” Bowersox announces, acknowledging she plans to release a new live album early in 2017. Then, she introduces the audience to a new tune she’s just completed entitled, “He Calls Me Angel,” another song which she sings straight from the heart.
Taking time to tune her guitar, Bowersox asks, “Anybody ride a Harley?” “I grew up playing biker bars,” she reveals, “but things are a little different now.” Dedicating the song to anyone in the audience who has “ever dreamed of riding a motorcycle,” Bowersox performs a gutsy version of her bluesy contemporary country number, “The Ride.”
After the tune, she asks, “So do you feel like you just rode a bike?” to which many of her fans in the audience respond with an enthusiastic “Yeah!”
Moving on to her blues-influenced country tune, “No Time,” David Freeman shines on a cool mandolin solo.
During the number, there are whoots from the crowd for this funky song which, interestingly enough, features guitar and drum accompaniment, but no bass. After the show, drummer Derek Louis reveals there is no bass player on this tour because they “just couldn’t fit more more person in the van.” As a result, he says, the instrumental trio of mandolin, guitar, and percussion performs all of the parts live, explaining that they do so without the use of any pre-recorded tracks or electronic devices.
“Some of you may remember me from a reality singing competition,” Bowersox announces to great applause. “I’m grateful for that. And if you think, ‘You should have won!’ I’d ask you to write that on a dollar bill with a Sharpie and put it in the box outside the theater and all money will go to juvenile diabetes research,” going on to add about this technique of collecting funds, “I used to make my living this way.”
Bowersox, a diabetic, is currently a spokeperson for the pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Co., one of her goals being to increase public awareness of Type 1 diabetes. In fact, several times during her performance, the audience can hear a slight beeping sound emanating from the stage, prompting Crystal to smilingly sigh, “I’m always beeping.”
Moving on to her next song, Bowersox tells her fans, “After American Idol, I went on an arena tour where we traveled around by bus. The bus driver was a woman — who was even shorter than me — and, some nights, when I couldn’t sleep, I’d sit up in the front with her.”
“‘In 25 years of rock ‘n roll trucking,’ the driver complained one night, ‘Not one of them jerks wrote me a song!’”
“I’ll write you a song,” said Crystal, launching into the tune, which she named for the bus driver, “Arlene.”
Featuring a tasteful use of harmonics on the guitar and her “crystal” clear lead vocal, Bowersox not only impresses the audience with her songwriting ability, but with her vocal and instrumental music prowess on this composition.
In the next tune, an appealing ditty entitled “Until Then,” Bowersox sings, “I am afraid of losing control” — a song which, she reveals, “was inspired by my desire for cake.”
Moving on to a new number, “Give In,” Bowersox’s soft voice floats above the rough instrumental background— at times, gently delivering the lyrics and, at times, powerfully driving home the story of the music. Singing, “Honey, I’ll be waiting til that last bright burning star disappears,” the number also features especially exciting interplay between the lead vocal and the mandolin, guitar, and percussion accompaniment.
“I hope that will be on our next record,” announces Bowersox.
Following great applause, Bowersox tells the audience that after Idol, she moved to Nashville, saying, “There, I can call songwriters who shaped me professionally and say, ‘Want to get a cup of coffee and write some songs?’” That said, she introduces her next piece saying, “I wrote this one myself,” a Band Perry-ish country tune in an odd meter entitled “Marlboro Man.”
Moving on to one of the highlights of the evening, Crystal says, “This is one that is hard to sing and was hard to write. Thank you for coming to my therapy session,” explaining that when she has issues she needs to deal with, it often helps her to write songs about them.
In the composition, “No Mistake,” Bowersox sings to her son, “You were no mistake. Mama’s gonna do anything it takes,” making this song a very personal and powerful number.
Following huge applause for her emotional performance, Bowersox trepidatiously inquires, “Anyone having fun?,” going on to add, “I hope you leave happier than you came.”
Stating, “When I wrote this next song, I wondered what advice my mom would give me” after a breakup.
“‘Don’t you cry one tear on that a**hole,” she claims her mother would reply, but then takes a moment to explain what is — for her — the personal meaning of this song, disclosing, “Let go of the things that don’t bring you joy; just put them down and walk away.”
As Crystal sings her heart out on “Dead Weight,” percussionist Derek Louis masterfully accompanies her, at times playing the drums with his hands.
Explaining, “Songs are like photos. They capture a moment in time,” Bowerox announces, “My son will never write a song like this next one about me.” She then performs another highlight of the evening, “Farmer’s Daughter,” a poignant and revealing piece where, after disclosing childhood abuse, she triumphantly declares, “I’m no farmer’s daughter any more, mommy dear.”
After tremendous applause, as a surprise, Crystal asks a special fan in the audience — eight-year-old Jada, here at the Grunin Center for her first-ever live concert — to join her on stage. At this point, Bowersox kneels down on her knees to Jada’s level. Jada — wearing an adorable bow and oversized “Crystal Bowersox” T-shirt — holds the microphone as Bowersox sings “Invincible,” along with periodic vocal support from Jada.
“Way to go!” Bowersox tells Jada.
Going on to confess to the audience, “I’d love to just stay home and wear sweatpants and play board games or Mario and eat bacon,” Bowersox performs her song, “Stay-cation,” which cleverly segues into the Steve Miller Band hit, “Fly Like an Eagle.”
Before her final number, Bowersox tells the crowd, “I hope you had a great time. Thank you, Toms River, NJ!” Going on to add, “I wrote this next song for someone special — a real jerk — whom I wish well,” she concludes the evening with her composition, “Now That You’re Gone,” proving to this audience just what an accomplished musician and musical storyteller she is.
Following a standing ovation, Crystal returns to the stage to perform an exceptional version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” followed by Leonard Cohen’s brilliant “Hallelujah.” At this point, percussionist Derek Louis takes out his lighted mobile phone and waves it back and forth. The audience does the same, making the theater look like it’s filled with scores of lightning bugs swaying to the music. Segueing into “Amazing Grace,” Bowersox and the group circle back into a rousing reprise of “Hallelujah,” one member of the audience screaming out excitedly, “Beautiful! Beautiful!”
For her final number, Bowersox performs an authentically bluesy version of Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee.”
Exiting the stage, Crystal has one last message for her fans, telling them, “I love you all so much.”
After the show, we have a chance to chat with Crystal and her accompanists who share their thoughts with us on their visit to the Garden State.
Mandolinist David Freeman tells us he’s especially happy to be in Toms River because he has friends here in New Jersey, and also because his trip here gave a chance to check out the house where they filmed one of his favorite movies, The Amityville Horror.
Percussionist Derek Louis tells us that he, too, has friends in New Jersey, explaining that his favorite part about being here is “not having to pump gas.”
Lastly, Crystal Bowersox takes a moment to talk to us, exclaiming, “New Jersey is gorgeous — I liked the drive here, even though I couldn’t make a left turn.” She also warmly adds, “This theater has great people who are really kind.”
And, not to be forgotten, Crystal’s fans also weigh on the performance they’ve all just experienced.
Carol from Seaside Park, NJ exclaims, “She was terrific.”
“Absolutely amazing!,” adds her friend, Stella, who is also from Seaside.
Brenda and Trish made the trip to Toms River, NJ, all the way from Mississauga, Ontario just so they could experience a live performance by Crystal Bowersox.
“We left Canada at 5am and got here at 4pm,” the women explain. “We drove through three states in the rain, but it was worth the drive — she’s fantastic!”
From our vantage point, it’s clear that for Brenda and Trish, Carol and Stella, eight-year-old Jada, and many more in attendance tonight at The Grunin Center, that Crystal Bowersox isn’t just any old singer.
For them, she is their American Idol.
To learn more about Crystal Bowersox, please go to www.crystalbowersox.com. For more information on upcoming performances at The Grunin Center — including Home Free on November 20 and 21 and Tom Wopat & Linda Purl on December 16 — please click on www.grunincenter.org.
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