Switchfoot Splashes into Singapore

Joseph Soroñgon|joseph@nus.edu.sg
the ridge transmedia
A NUSSU Publication

Switchfoot: Live in Singapore
The Max Pavilion, Singapore Expo
Thu, 31 Jan 08, 7.30pm
Ticket Price: $55, $70, $80 & $90

Picture Credit: Joseph Soroñgon

Switchfoot’s first-ever Singapore gig was an experience one cannot quite place: it was a rock show, yes, driven by heavy guitar riffs and long-haired dudes working up the headbanging crowd, and yet, the band bore no air of lofty rock star pretence; the songs had none of the usual gritty angry lyrics, and in fact there were some tender soulful tunes, that one wondered if this were a feel-good worship session in disguise. One thing for sure, though, is that the jumping crowd of about 2,500 at the Max Pavilion had a blastin’ good time.

Best known for the songs “Dare You to Move”, “Meant to Live” and “Stars”, as well as appearing on the soundtrack of the film A Walk to Remember (2002), Switchfoot is a post-grunge rock band from San Diego, California, comprising Jon Foreman on vocals and guitar, his brother Tim Foreman on bass, Chad Butler on drums, Drew Shirley on guitar, and Jerome Fontamillas (of Filipino descent if I may add) on guitar and keyboards. These five easily likable surfer dudes performed synergistically to create a one-and-a-half-hour concert that felt more a large family gathering cum sing-along session than a merely staged affair.

It was surreal, to say the least.

After excellent front acts, local rock bands The Fire Fight and West Grand Boulevard, built up the atmosphere for the night, Switchfoot instantly revved up the crowd with “Oh! Gravity”, the lead single and title of their latest album, and the guitar-heavy “Stars”.

With frontman Jon, who seemed to instinctively get the pulse of the audience, the band easily coasted through their songs to a wildly energetic crowd. By their fifth song, aptly titled “We are One Tonight”, Jon wondered aloud about a difficult question he hasn’t figured out an answer to: “Why haven’t we played Singapore before?” to frenzied crowd response.

It was a riot, in large part due to the exceptional stage performer that is Jon Foreman. Whether it was his screaming into his electric guitar or his knack for vigorously strumming so close to the floor at times, or his taking out one of drummer Chad’s cymbals and hitting it repeatedly while he was spinning in place, or his surprise harmonica solo, or his crowd-walking – Jon easily delivers.

Picture Credit: Joseph Soroñgon

As a whole, the band’s stage presence was nothing short of magnetic. With unmistakable chemistry within the band, interaction between and in the middle of songs seemed instinctive and natural. When they sampled Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” in their pop-rock song “Gone”, one could tell these guys sure know how to have fun. But their biggest collective stage antic was when they froze in motion in the middle of “American Dream”, for a good two minutes or so, before rocking out the chorus once again.

But maybe it wasn’t an antic, really. Jon’s song writing is not only known for its poetry and sincerity, but a deep sense of introspection and social consciousness. “It crushes me to find how small this dream has become,” he says, before playing “American Dream.” Their two minutes of bizarre stillness might very well have been an emphasis on the gravity of the message they wish to impart. It’s not just about politics, Jon clarifies, but about a host of other social issues that distract us from feeling human.

For the poets, too, this keen sensitivity to the human condition and the creativity of the lyrics are what add meaning to the songs. The clappy “Oh! Gravity”, for example, is not simply about falling; it’s about gravity as a natural force that keeps people together, and hence asks: why are we falling apart? “Stars” similarly, is a reflection on social “entropy”, from the perspective of the stars looking down on earth. For some too, songs like “On Fire”, and “Learning to Breathe” are simply inspirational. The rock anthem “Meant to Live”, inspired by a T.S. Elliot poem, describes a yearning to live life more fully than what we’re given.

It is this heartfelt sensibility that is especially palpable in the night’s more tender and soulful tracks, beginning with “Only Hope”, penned by Jon and featured in Mandy Moore’s A Walk to Remember, “Learning to Breathe”, and “On Fire”. And yet, the most mesmerising moment was when Jon came out alone on stage with only his acoustic guitar, and sang the moving “24”, the first of two encores.

He carried on to play a beautiful stripped down version of the final song of the night, the runaway hit “Dare You to Move”, before his fellow band members came in and rocked it out full blast from the second verse. It was now a massive sing-along session, where even Jon’s voice was drowned out at times. The song ended to thunderous cheers and applause.

Ultimately, the Switchfoot experience was awesome good fun for everyone – for the A Walk to Remember fans, the socially conscious, the poets, and the hardcore fans of good old rock ‘n’ roll.