A week into October and in San Diego it feels like summer. Its a beautiful Friday night and while the nights are cooler, it really doesn’t feel like summer is over, especially when you have pro surfer/musician/singer-songwriter/filmmaker Jack Johnson performing. Johnson Brough his Meet The Moonlight tour to the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre and it was a perfect way to close the 2022 concert season here. Its always a little bittersweet to be at the last show of season, knowing that the crowds will leave at the end of the show and the amphitheatre will close its doors until the 2023 season kicks off next year. I guess summer really is over.
First up was Ron Artis II and if that name rings a bell, it might just be because I covered his brother, Thunderstorm Artis when he opened for Train earlier this year. (Along with Blues Trailer, and Jewel. Link to that gallery and review is HERE). To my great delight, Thunderstorm Artis was on hand and played with his brother as part of the four piece band. I have said this over and over, but if you are going to a show, don’t miss the opening acts, as you never know when you are going to see someone really great. I’m going to say it again, if you missed the set by Ron and Thunderstorm, you missed some seriously great music. I expect to see both of them again really soon.
Band:
Ron Artis II – Guitar, Vocals
Thunderstorm Artis – Guitar, vocal
Jarod Manis – Drums
Ernie Ecraela – Bass
Jack Johnson is the definition of California laid back, or maybe that should be Hawaii laid back as that’s where he was born and raised. Jack became the youngest invitee to make the finals of the famed Pipeline Masters surf contest at the age of 17. It was just one week later that his surfing career was cut short when an accident resulted in over 100 stitches in his head. While the surfing world lost, the music world gained. Johnson had been playing guitar and writing songs from a young age, but it was his time at UCSB (University of California, Santa Barbara) that really fueled the music. From small college bands to headlining a packed house, it’s been a hell of a ride these last 22+ years for Jack Johnson.
While we only got to shoot the first three of the show (pretty standard) and Johnson went on to perform a stellar 29 song set including guest appearances from Ben Harper and Paula Fuga, and mixed in covers by Bo Diddley, Pink Floyd, Sergio Mendes, John Holt, Paula Fuga (is it a cover if the you perform the song with the artist who wrote it?) Willie Nelson, and Bob Marley. The tour is in support of the new Mac Johnson album “Meet The Moonlight” but they only played three tunes from the new album, spreading the rest of the setlist over six other albums, including six songs from the “In Between Dreams” release. The laid back surf vibe of the show really resonated with the Southern California crowd and crowd sang along all night. It was a great way to close out the 2022 concert season.
Band:
Jack Johnson – Guitar , Vocals
Merlo Podlewski – Bass
Zach Gill – Keys
Adam Topol – Drums
SETLIST
1.) Mudfootball
2.) Taylor
3.) Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
4.) One Step Ahead
5.) You and Your Heart
6.) Upside Down / Time is the Master / Badfish (John Holt cover) (with Ben Harper)
7.) Inaudible Melodies
8.) You Can’t Control It / Breathe (In The Air) (Pink Floyd cover)
9.) Never Fade
10.) Bubble Toes / Calm Down
11.) Wasting Time
12.) Costume Party
13.) Who Do You Love? (Bo Diddley cover)
14.) Mas Que Nada / Staple it Together (Sergio Mendes cover)
15.) Breakdown
16.) Country Road (Paula Fuga cover) (with Paula Fuga)
17.) If Ever (Paula Fuga cover) (with Paula Fuga)
18.) Flake (with Ben Harper)
19.) Remember (Jimi Hendrix cover)
20.) Don’t Look Now
21.) Shot Reverse Shot
22.) Banana Pancakes
23.) Rodeo Clowns / Soul Shakedown Party (Bob Marley cover) (with Paula Fuga)
24.) Good People
ENCORE
25.) Do You Remember (solo)
26.) Home (solo)
27.) Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die (Willie Nelson Cover – Snippet)
28.) Willie Got Me Stoned And Took All My Money (with Ben Harper)
29.) Better Together (with Paula Fuga)
Alan Hess is a photographer based in San Diego, where he lives with his wife and two rescued boxers.
Alan is currently the house photographer for a large concert and event venue in Southern California where he photographs everything from major musical acts to ice hockey. When he isn’t out taking photographs, he spends his time writing books and is an accomplished photography educator and trainer.
Alan’s images have been published in a variety of places including news papers, magazines, websites, promotional materials, album artwork, and press releases. His clients include The Associated Press, Fox Television, FX Network, USA Network, Hasbro, Framus Guitars, Gibson, The Dead, Picture Group, Photoshop User Magazine, Steel Pulse, Ziggy Marley, and many more.
He is the author of sixteen photography and technology books covering everything from night and low light photography to multiple shot techniques. His books are sold around the world and have been translated in other languages including: Chinese, French, Polish, Japanese, Thai, and Italian.
