I got the opportunity to attend a totally radical (in the name of surf-ship) concert this past Saturday, with the one and only, Donavon Frankenreiter. Donavon Frankenreiter is an American musician and surfer, and a close friend of Jack Johnson. The event was brought to Durban by Breakout Management and Zigzag Surfing Magazine and with his avid supporters; it really turned out to be a hit!
Of course, prior to the concert I was indefinite as to who this famous surf-indie musical artist was, which was a key driving force for my eagerness on attending. This led to my perusing his online presence and let me just say, I was impressed. Little did I know that there was so much more to come, girl oh girl did Donavon Frankenreiter make me want to scream out, “Eish, gimme more!”
It was my first time at Live the Venue and since I arrived early, it allowed me some not so IP (Indian People) time to absorb my surroundings and they didn’t disappoint. Their stage is traditionally draped with a classic red velvet curtain and their seating simple but efficient, most importantly the venue is cozy and allows the audience to be close to the performance, making it personal and sparking some chemistry. As the venue started filling up the light conversations, laughs and mingling became so much a part of the event. I had the opportunity of meeting several fans and each shared that special sense of pride that one has when speaking about their favourite artist. Before I knew it, the opening act was on stage. Manuvah to land were the first and they got the audience in the mood with their eclectic tunes with some of my favourite genres, a fusion of soft reggae and some rap. Their warm band presence opened up the scene for Nibs van der Spuy who shared his acoustic tunes coupled with his musical anecdotes.
Then, finally the man himself appeared before us. Donavon Frankenreiter with his co-performer (the mystery man with the mad skills on guitar and harmonica) were truly amazing. He started off the concert with a popular favourite ‘Free’ moving into ‘Shine’ and ‘What’ cha know about love’, which literally left me goose-bumped and feet bopping thereafter. His voice breathes soulful, relaxed and sexy all rolled into one. The crazy part is that it was just them and their guitars; there were no heavy sound equipment or intricate sound checks. It was them and their music. He definitely glided through the chords and notes just as he would ride a wave. It was natural and raw and that’s what captivated everyone. I never thought it possible but Donavon Frankenreiter made me believe that not all concerts are dubbed with mechanics; this was the rare occasion where a live show beat record.
The best part of the performance was when he left us with his last song ‘It Don’t matter’ and welcomed a fan to join him on stage. Cornel Meyer was the go-getter who jumped on stage and without any nervousness performed with Donavon and damn did this curly haired boy surprise us with his voice. This was truly an epic ending to a wonderful performance from my new favorite Donavon Frankenreiter. For me, this was an entirely wonderful experience; I got to be a part of an act that was both musically engaging and completely personal. He ended each song with a humble “Thank you so much” so in honour of his Hawaiian manners I would like to say thank you so much Donavon Frankenreiter for making me a fan!
