Exclusive: Gavin DeGraw Maple Leaf Tour Night!
A piece of One Tree Hill came to Sioux Falls!
Over the years, I have attended numerous Pepper Entertainment shows at The District. Actually after looking back over the years I have attended over 50 shows at The District now! However, this particular show was exceptional, reminiscent of the iconic season four episode of One Tree Hill when Lucas Scott, played by Chad Michael Murray, made the buzzer shot for the championship. The fact that they were able to bring Gavin DeGraw's Maple leaf tour to our city was a delightful surprise for everyone in attendance. Initially, I was torn between going to this show or attending one of the farther away shows for a chance at Live Nation Press Access to potentially interview the artists for this article. Ultimately, my wife and I decided to support our local venue and stay in town.
As we entered The District, the first thing that caught my eye was the abundance of One Tree Hill merchandise. I spotted a few high-end jerseys with the Keith Scott, played by Craig Sheffer, Memorial "KS" stitched on, similar shirts, and some fashionable outfits inspired by Clothes Over Bros. The show Clothes Over Bros was created by Brooke Davis, played by Sophia bush, but what really pulled the entire thing together was the pieces we saw were all the ones inspired by Peyton Sawyer, played by Hilarie Burton Morgan. The only young core cast members that weren’t openly represented this night were Nathan, Haley and Mouth, played respectively by James Lafferty, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Lee Norris.
We chose not to get the 21+ stamp and enjoyed the show sober, ensuring clear thoughts for any potential artist interviews. I always feel a twinge of guilt when I don't purchase alcohol at venues, knowing that it's a significant source of income for the staff. Therefore, we made sure to grab sodas and bottled waters all night and left generous tips as our way of contributing.
The opening act, Kevin Garret, was new to us but absolutely fantastic. His music and style perfectly complemented Gavin's, making him an ideal fit to open for him. I had the opportunity to chat with him after the show, and he shared that he is originally from Pittsburgh, PA, but now resides in Nashville, TN. Besides being a performer, he also writes songs for other artists. During his set, he even played Pray You Catch Me made famous by Beyonce, which he wrote. You may also recognize his work on songs like Lennon Stella, Kevin Garrett - Every Time You Go Away or Cynthia Erivo - Sweet Sarah. For fans of Cynthia Erivo, keep an eye out for the new production of Wicked this year, as we plan to cover it in our Flick Frenzy section.
Kevin also mentioned that he has some new projects in the works, although he couldn't reveal the artist just yet. So, be on the lookout for Kevin Garrett's name as a potential writer credit on something new soon! He concluded our conversation by expressing his appreciation for the tour so far and his excitement for his own headline tour in Europe, right before Gavin embarks on his own European dates for the Maple Leaf Tour.
After a short break for a bathroom visit and drinks for everyone, Gavin Degraw took the stage. The show ran smoothly all night, and the staff did an excellent job. As Gavin opened with "Chariot," the crowd went wild. Throughout his performance, I was reminded of the fan following he has, particularly the girl outside in the van marked GavnGrl, who has been following him on tour. If anyone were to choose an artist to follow on tour, Gavin would be the perfect choice. I've heard multiple live renditions of his songs, and he has an incredible ability to change his inflections from performance to performance without compromising the quality of his sound. This level of consistent, quality variation is quite rare in live tour performances.
Gavin has mastered the art of connecting with his audience and involving them in his performances. He takes the time to select unique groups, often families, to join him on stage, creating memories they will never forget. He knows exactly when to let the audience sing their favorite lines, and he does it with perfect timing. This particular night was especially satisfying, as the family he brought on stage included a wonderful woman named Bobbi Jo and her children, who had driven over 400 miles from Niverville, Manitoba, Canada in an old Ford just to attend the show. Their dedication to this talented artist was evident.
I thought it was great that she bought one of the Maple Leaf Hoodies. I assume from the Canadian tourist shirts covered in maple leaves I have seen, this hoodie will fit in nicely back home for her. The audience singing along was the clearest and most harmonized I have ever heard at a show. It's incredible what inspiration from an artist can do to a crowd.
Gavin performed all of our favorite songs and concluded the main part of the show with his hit song "I Don't Wanna Be," which all the One Tree Hill fans belted out. His encore included "Hey Jude" by The Beatles and his own song "In Love With a Girl."
After the show, I had the opportunity to chat with Bobbi and her kids. When asked about their thoughts on the show, the kids described it as "amazing and super duper great," while Bobbi mentioned that Gavin is humble, a good musical influence, and a fellow dog lover. They shared that they were headed to Minneapolis in July and we discussed how amazing The Armory is as a venue if they get a chance to attend another show while they're there.
Finally, I had a few moments to speak with Gavin outside, and he proved to be a down-to-earth guy. After almost two decades of following his career, it was incredibly satisfying to interview him for a hometown show. I brought up the fact that last month marked twelve years since the end of One Tree Hill, yet there was still a significant amount of merchandise in the crowd, and I asked for his thoughts on that. He responded, "I love it, I think it's amazing. It got my foot in the door." Interestingly, Gavin mentioned that he doesn't watch TV, so while he's heard that One Tree Hill is an incredible show, he hasn't actually seen it himself.
As a final question, I inquired whether there was any chance of Kevin Garret being a guest opener on any of the overseas dates for the Maple Leaf tour dates since they will both be overseas at the same time. Gavin had nothing but praise for Kevin, stating, "I don't know if the dates line up, but that would be great. He is super talented and a great guy. We've been very lucky, and I met him at a restaurant. He came up to me, I listened to his music, and I was like ‘This guy is great. Let's put on the show.’" He was also nice enough to sign my jersey and our RFID Press Credential lanyard!
Overall, the show was a remarkable experience, and it was a privilege to witness Gavin DeGraw's Maple leaf tour at our local venue. The District did an excellent job hosting the event, and both Gavin DeGraw and Kevin Garrett delivered outstanding performances. It was a night full of memorable moments and fantastic music.
To read on some of our other articles at this venue check out these………
