O.A.R. and Natasha Bedingfield served as their opening acts, where they were able to warm up the stage for Pat Monahan and his band.
As Train took the stage, they began their set with “Drink Up,” which featured confetti canyons. After a killer electric guitar solo, they immediately broke into “50 Ways to Say Goodbye,” which had a mariachi vibe to it. “Jones Beach,” Monahan screamed. “Isn’t this song romantic?” he asked, and the answer was a resounding yes.
The lyrics of “If It’s Love” displayed on the giant televised screen, as the audience sang along, while Monahan was taking photos for the fans (with their phones) as they were throwing their cell phones on the stage.
“Long Island are you with us so far?” he asked, and he welcomed them to the “Play That Song” tour. “Man, that’s so much better than Boston,” thus implying that the Long Island crowd is more lively.
It was followed by “Angel in Blue Jeans” and “Get to Me.” Then, Monahan took over the camera-man’s job and asked various parts of the orchestra: “Is this the best-looking crowd?”
“Save Me, San Francisco” was a fun vocal, where large beach balls bounced throughout the venue. During “Calling All Angels,” blue lights dimmed from the stage and it featured powerful background vocals from his female back-up singers.
“Everybody okay so far?” he asked. He brought back Natasha Bedingfield on stage, where they sang a duet of “Bruises” together, where Bedingfield filled in for Ashley Monroe, but she did the song justice, featuring her sultry voice. “Natasha’s super-cool,” Monahan said. “She sings notes that dogs can’t even hear,” he added, thus praising her vocal ability.
He went on to sing a verse of “Play That Song” a cappella, but noted that the audience was not ready for that song yet. Instead, he sang the infectious “Meet Virginia.”
Monahan picked up the pace with “Drive By,” which was a crowd favorite for sure. He went on to sing the wedding staple “Marry Me” on stage, where he accompanied himself on acoustic guitar. He noted that although he might not be the best guitar player in the world, he writes many of his songs on acoustic guitar. Midway through the song, his band joined in, with their acoustic instruments. His live rendition of “Marry Me” was such a warm and tender performance. Towards the end of the song, a couple got engaged in the orchestra section. “Did you guys just get engaged?” he asked, and they verified that special occasion. Monahan sent them his congratulatory remarks and well wishes from the stage.
He wrote the follow-up song, the piano-driven “You Better Believe” for his children, where he allowed his dynamic voice to do all the talking. Several band members from O.A.R. joined him on stage to sing Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al,” where they reenacted Simon’s classic music video.
One of the highlight tracks from his new album was his killer version of “Working Girl,” which was an anthem of female empowerment. During the course of this song, images of inspirational women displayed on the televised screen, which included Loretta Lynn, Lucille Ball, Carrie Fisher, Oprah, Princess Diana, Emma Watson, Serena and Venus Williams, Beyonce and Ellen, among many others.
It was followed by a medley of Train’s “Mermaid,” coupled with Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” Sia’s “Cheap Thrills,” Shawn Mendes’ “Treat You Better,” and his newer song, the carefree “Lost and Found.”
He closed with his Grammy-winning “Hey, Soul Sister,” where everybody was singing along, and “Play That Song.” “Now we’re day,” he said, and seeing the Jones Beach audience recite the lyrics of the latter tune back to him was a beautiful sight.
For their encore, they returned to sing a classic Queen tune (“Under Pressure”), as well as their signature song “Drops of Jupiter.”
The Verdict
Overall, Train was superb at the Jones Beach Theater on Long Island. They gave their New York audience a night of high-quality music to remember. Pat Monahan’s voice is like fine wine, where he only gets better with age and experience. Their live show garnered an A rating.
