Gains, Johnston Silence the Masses in Media

Gaines, Johnston Silence the Masses in Media

by Beth Ann Matkovich

If you can imagine two of Central PA’s most beloved artists under one roof in one night, your dream came true February 19 in Media, PA.

Harrisburg’s own Jeffrey Gaines (pictured below) and Wire patron Freedy Johnston teamed up for a magnificent night of performances at the Media Theater that left the audience silenced and spellbound.

The show kicked off before a full house with an hour plus set by Johnston, followed by more than two hours (including encore) of musical tales from Gaines. Although Gaines struggled with the sound techs for three quarters of his performance, the audience didn’t know the difference, and quite frankly, didn’t care. He seemed taken aback at his listeners’ deafening silence during the show, and finally realized that the theater didn’t serve alcohol. With his permission, the crowd livened up toward the end shouting requests and comments that brought out Gaines’ inner comedian.

While trying to make a subtle attempt to check the sound level of his mic, Gaines began telling an amusing story of what he thought the music business would be like while on tour (he’s currently out with the Bacon Brothers and has had stints with Melissa Etheridge, Tom Petty, and a laundry list of others), summing it all up with his still unanswered question, “Where’s the party?”

In between laughs, Gaines performance included timeless classics “Scares Me More,” “No, I Don’t Think So,” and “What it is” from his first album, and Belle de Jour and “First Chapter’s Last Page” from his most recent effort, Galore. He closed the show with in a telling way with an encore of “Hero in Me,” “Love Disappears,” and a riveting version of Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” The audience had to wipe their tears before they could put their hands together for a well-deserved applause.

Johnston’s show, while significantly shorter, was equally as enjoyable. He opened with a humorous jibe at the theater’s announcer for mispronouncing his last name as “Johnson” that set the stage for a light-hearted performance. Similar to his performances at the close-quartered Wire, Johnston’s music spoke to each member of the audience as an individual, as if in a serenade alone with you in the room.

The Kansan-via-New York performer transported the audience to his world with the famed “Bad Reputation” and “Evie’s Tears” from This Perfect World (which landed Johnston the title of “songwriter of the year” by Rolling Stone and launched him into the limelight), and a stunning cover of Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” which, he confessed, came to him as play list material when he was standing in a deli in the Big Apple.

The show drew two thumbs up from all in attendance. Gaines confessed that he and Johnston have performed back-to-back at venues in the past. It would have been nice if the two had paired for an encore or even a cover of some old classic, but their individual performances were enough to evoke a gamut of emotion from the packed house.

Who knows, maybe next time?