By Washington Washington
Wow. What a rare treat it was to see Jake Shimabukuro at the Colonial Theatre last night. The guy is true master of his craft. To command the ukulele the way he does is indeed unfathomable when you consider that the standard size of the instrument is no longer than 21″.
He’s a hell of a nice guy too! I spoke to him briefly after the concert and invited him out for drinks, but he was driving to Jersey and needed to get out of there. In any case, Jake’s the man… for real.
Right off the bat, he hit the audience with a flamenco inspired face-melter that left us in awe. I wish I had taken some video of this. His hands were moving so fast that they blurred. A rare spectacle indeed, and a truly remarkable technique.
He played several covers that (of course) brought the house down, but I was equally (if not more) impressed by his own songs. “Shirley Temple”, inspired by the once-popular children’s drink (not the actress), was driving and upbeat.
“Five Dollar Unleaded” was a charming tune depicting his father’s preferred phrase at the pump.
VIDEO: “Five Dollar Unleaded” @ the Colonial Theatre PART ONE
VIDEO: “Five Dollar Unleaded” @ the Colonial Theatre PART TWO
VIDEO: “Five Dollar Unleaded” @ the Colonial Theatre PART THREE
His “Blue Roses” jam was a perfect representation of its inspiration. Jake mentioned it was written after he had visited a friend’s grandmother in the hospital. She described hallucinations of blue roses on the ceiling and how the petals would fall onto her at night. To capture something like that in music form is an incredible feat of artistry. It proves that his song writing ability is not outshined by his god-given talent.
I have to give the Colonial some overdue credit too… The sound was perfect! The atmosphere was so still: it allowed for the tiny instrument to dominate the room at times and mellow out into a mere whisper at others. And afterwards the applause was gracious. To warmly welcome him like that that made me proud of my town.
Come back anytime, Jake! I’ll be there with even more friends next time.
