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Gonzo Report: Dispatch & Co. got Gen X out of their seats at SDSU
All these acts would have been a fit on '95's H.O.R.D.E. tour
The long-running indie/roots band Dispatch made a stop at SDSU’s Open Air Theatre on a Thursday night in late July. With three openers in tow — John Butler and band/G. Love and Special Sauce/Donavon Frankenreiter — the event had the feel of a mini festival that could have taken place in the late '90s or early 2000s. In fact, all these acts would have been a cozy fit on a 1990s H.O.R.D.E. — G. Love and Special Sauce actually played multiple dates on that roots/jam-band fest back in 1995, 30 years ago.
I missed Donavon Frankenreiter’s early solo performance (which started at a still-quite-sunny 6:30), but managed to catch him performing with G. Love in the second set of the evening. The former Jack Johnson protégé fit right in with the three-piece band, and it’s no surprise, since they toured heavily together in 2023. Love’s soulful harmonica playing was a real highlight of their performance and gave many of the songs a rollicking, bluesy groove. Patrons were still trickling in, but those in attendance (present company included) seemed quite entertained.
Video:
Dispatch: "Crazy Train"
I scurried up the stairs to grab a drink after G. Love’s set. It was my first time seeing all the acts on this bill, and it would also be my first time drinking Sangria on tap: at $14, it was the cheapest option for booze at a still-not-a-bargain-at-all $14. Not bad, but there was no way I was getting a second round after I Googled “Sangria ingredients” and discovered the drink is a mix of red wine, brandy and various other sugary items. That’s a beverage concoction screaming “YOU’RE GONNA HAVE A HANGOVER!” Instead, I grabbed a Pepsi Zero before Dispatch started — which was perhaps even more moronic, since the caffeine kept me up for hours after I got home.
Next up was John Butler, who was born in the U.S. but moved to Australia at an early age. After high school, Butler ended up in Encinitas for two years in the mid-90s and played around town in a band called Vitamin. Following that, he returned to Australia where he found success in the early 2000s as part of the John Butler Trio. Butler’s music was probably the most anthemic of the night. When he went big, his songs sounded as captivating and moving as works by U2 and fellow Australian mainstays Midnight Oil. And his ten-minute, solo acoustic instrumental “Ocean” really brought the house down. Kudos to Butler as well for giving shoutouts to all of his crew members (by name!) before his set ended.
I took a look around when Dispatch hit the stage after nine; the 4600-seat venue felt about 60-70 percent full. The somewhat low turnout was surprising; a decade or two ago, I bet it could have filled 30,000 seats at Chula Vista’s North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre. Blame the fact that SDSU was on summer break, or maybe that the culture loop hasn't quite swung around to 2005 yet.
Regardless, when Dispatch started, their Gen X-intensive fanbase got up and danced and sang along. They were there, and that was all that mattered. Dispatch veterans Chad “Chetro” Urmston and Brad “Braddigan” Corrigan (and their current four-piece band) performed the most reggae and island-adjacent sounds of the night. But they also delivered memorable curveballs, such as an incredible cover of the recently deceased Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train" with Braddigan on lead vocals in full frontman mode. He spent most of the evening on drums, but the members of Dispatch trade off instrumental duties — to the point where a member of the crew joined them on sax for one song. He killed it.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Gonzo Report: Dispatch & Co. got Gen X out of their seats at SDSU
All these acts would have been a fit on '95's H.O.R.D.E. tour
Gonzo Report: Dispatch & Co. got Gen X out of their seats at SDSU
All these acts would have been a fit on '95's H.O.R.D.E. tour
The long-running indie/roots band Dispatch made a stop at SDSU’s Open Air Theatre on a Thursday night in late July. With three openers in tow — John Butler and band/G. Love and Special Sauce/Donavon Frankenreiter — the event had the feel of a mini festival that could have taken place in the late '90s or early 2000s. In fact, all these acts would have been a cozy fit on a 1990s H.O.R.D.E. — G. Love and Special Sauce actually played multiple dates on that roots/jam-band fest back in 1995, 30 years ago.
I missed Donavon Frankenreiter’s early solo performance (which started at a still-quite-sunny 6:30), but managed to catch him performing with G. Love in the second set of the evening. The former Jack Johnson protégé fit right in with the three-piece band, and it’s no surprise, since they toured heavily together in 2023. Love’s soulful harmonica playing was a real highlight of their performance and gave many of the songs a rollicking, bluesy groove. Patrons were still trickling in, but those in attendance (present company included) seemed quite entertained.
Video:
Dispatch: "Crazy Train"
I scurried up the stairs to grab a drink after G. Love’s set. It was my first time seeing all the acts on this bill, and it would also be my first time drinking Sangria on tap: at $14, it was the cheapest option for booze at a still-not-a-bargain-at-all $14. Not bad, but there was no way I was getting a second round after I Googled “Sangria ingredients” and discovered the drink is a mix of red wine, brandy and various other sugary items. That’s a beverage concoction screaming “YOU’RE GONNA HAVE A HANGOVER!” Instead, I grabbed a Pepsi Zero before Dispatch started — which was perhaps even more moronic, since the caffeine kept me up for hours after I got home.
Next up was John Butler, who was born in the U.S. but moved to Australia at an early age. After high school, Butler ended up in Encinitas for two years in the mid-90s and played around town in a band called Vitamin. Following that, he returned to Australia where he found success in the early 2000s as part of the John Butler Trio. Butler’s music was probably the most anthemic of the night. When he went big, his songs sounded as captivating and moving as works by U2 and fellow Australian mainstays Midnight Oil. And his ten-minute, solo acoustic instrumental “Ocean” really brought the house down. Kudos to Butler as well for giving shoutouts to all of his crew members (by name!) before his set ended.
I took a look around when Dispatch hit the stage after nine; the 4600-seat venue felt about 60-70 percent full. The somewhat low turnout was surprising; a decade or two ago, I bet it could have filled 30,000 seats at Chula Vista’s North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre. Blame the fact that SDSU was on summer break, or maybe that the culture loop hasn't quite swung around to 2005 yet.
Regardless, when Dispatch started, their Gen X-intensive fanbase got up and danced and sang along. They were there, and that was all that mattered. Dispatch veterans Chad “Chetro” Urmston and Brad “Braddigan” Corrigan (and their current four-piece band) performed the most reggae and island-adjacent sounds of the night. But they also delivered memorable curveballs, such as an incredible cover of the recently deceased Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train" with Braddigan on lead vocals in full frontman mode. He spent most of the evening on drums, but the members of Dispatch trade off instrumental duties — to the point where a member of the crew joined them on sax for one song. He killed it.
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