Jack Johnson & The Black Seeds – Outer Fields: Dec. 10, 2022

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Jack Johnson, The Black Seeds and Muroki brought the summer vibes and warmth to Auckland, making the rain irrelevant at Western Springs. 

Playing to the outer fields, the weather didn’t seem to deter fans who slipped around in the mud happily enough. It was cool to see the stadium dotted with the New Zealand charities and initiatives of Jack’s choosing, something that is at the core to who Jack Johnson is and what he is known for.

Opening with Muroki, he performed as well as you possibly can in a serious downpour, but still to many fans. ‘Wavy’ his breakthrough song was an absolute hit and always is when it comes to his sets.

Well known reggae DJ Stinky Jim played in-between sets with a heater of his own, setting proper summer vibes in-between artists, an excellent choice to keep people entertained.

The Black Seeds

The Black seeds performed next and the rain began to lighten, they came in steaming and energetic playing their best and well known songs starting with ‘Cool Me Down’ followed by ‘Something So True’ and they further solidified themselves as New Zealand’s best live band. With a band that is seven people deep it is hard not to have such a presence on the stage. It was banger after banger for The Black Seeds, they played a few of their new tracks off their newest album, ‘Love & Fire’ which were slick, and was one of the best sets I have seen them play yet.

Jack Johnson

On comes the understated, incredibly chill, Jack Johnson, yep and despite the rain, in jandals. He immediately captures people’s attention and hearts opening with ‘Mudfootball’ and straight into ‘Inaudible Melodies’ he greets the crowd with a perfectly pronounced kia ora and everyone swoons. He plays ‘Flake’ blended with ‘Paradise City’ because he didn’t want anyone to feel like they were missing out, though no one was apart from the guy next to us who didn’t realise that was tonight and made a hasty exit.

He tells the story of how New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to play him on the radio and he reminisces about when he came here a long time ago with Ben Harper, it was one of my first concerts. Playing a perfect combination of old and new music, the songs from his new album Meet The Moonlight sounded even better live. The crowd does at one point begin to slightly waver with the newer songs so he pulls out ‘Banana Pancakes’ for the lovers followed by ‘Do You Remember.’

He brings Muroki and the whole of The Black Seeds back on stage at points to do mashups of each other’s songs and we are introduced to his keyboardist/vocalist/accordionist Zach Gill who may have stolen the show at points with some of the smoothest vocals of the night. Jack seems to know that as he smiles his way through his band mate taking centre stage.

For his encore, he performs without a band covering Willie Nelson, ‘Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die’ and of course, ‘Better Together’. We all left feeling a lot warmer and still a nation who collectively adores and loves Jack Johnson.

Bridie Chetwin-Kelly

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Tara Ranchhod

Jack Johnson:

The Black Seeds:

 

 

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