August 19 - David Gray & Ray LaMontagne

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David Gray Jones Beach


It's been 17 years since British singer-songwriter David Gray released his first CD. Best known for his homemade 1999 breakthrough album, "White Ladder," and its chart-topping single, "Babylon," he puts stinging lyrics on top of sparse acoustic sounds spiced with electronica. He's got a new band for his current tour and has reworked some of his older numbers. "As an example," he told an interviewer a month ago, "‚"The Other Side' is a song off my "A New Day at Midnight' record. The way we do it now is the way it should be done. It sounds so pale listening back to that record. It's such a timid version of what it could have been. The songs get fleshed out live. You get to realize how you can play them. You get so much more able.

Ray LaMontagne reportedly, after hearing a Stephen Stills song in the 90's, LaMontagne decided to quit his job at a shoe factory and pursue a career in music. He has since released three albums, Trouble, Till the Sun Turns Black and Gossip in the Grain. In the UK, Trouble was a top 5 hit, and the title track of the album was a top 25 hit. Till the Sun Turns Black was a top 40 hit in the U.S. A soft-spoken person who is known for his raspy voice, LaMontagne has won a number of awards for his music and has performed at several charity events.

Ray LaMontagne Jones Beach