“How are all of you doing! Jimmy here, great day with the sun and all eh?” chuckled Train’s lead guitarist, as he strided into the room confidently with Scott Underwood (drums) and Patrick Monahan (vocals).

Despite suffering from travel fatigue, there were plenty of smiles and a couple of good-natured insults hurled at Jimmy as he rambled on about love poems and their lyrics even before sitting down with HYPE, UrbanWire’s sister publication.


Being in the music scene almost two decades, Train has been one band that endured the test of time, witnessing plenty of music artistes come and go. From bands such as U2 and Green Day to new talents like The Wanted, they have seen it all.

“You know, it’s crazy to be on the same chart as … Justin Bieber. It’s a little weird when we do tours with these younger pop guys; we are like the old men on board,” exclaimed Scott.

“It was ‘Hey, Soul Sister’ that became such a massive song around the world and appealed to a new generation. All of a sudden, all the young people started coming up with their parents who liked our 90s’ and early 00s’ material, and without warning, we became something of a family band.” added Jimmy.

Indeed, “Hey, Soul Sister” was one of the most popular songs in 2010, becoming Train’s highest charting song to date and receiving a quintuple platinum certification by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).

“I don’t think that it was intentional, for us to write more youth-oriented music. It just kind of happened, and it’s great for us. There is a really great energy in our shows now, with the newer audience, plus they are starting to discover our older material, such a win-win for both sides.” said Patrick with a little smile.

With success, comes detractors as well. Their critics point out that the band have not topped their double platinum album Drops of Jupiter more than a decade ago, instead ‘selling out’ to commercial pop music.

When asked if they had any pressure to conform and play music that is more appealing to the younger audience today, Scott just laughed it off.

“It never was our intention to change our musical style to suit young people. It’s kind of a hit-and-miss thing. That single was something special, but by-and-large, we are still the same group that formed in 1994, who loved, and still love playing music.”

Indeed, that music-loving spirit was evident in their concert on Jun 17. Rocking out to a 2000-strong crowd at the Grand Theater at `Marina Bay Sands, Train was nothing but fabulous, hyping the crowd with hit song after hit song. Be it dance material from their newest album or classic rock material from their first, the band performed magnificently, awing the crowd with sick guitar riffs and innovative usage of unorthodox instruments.

Although in their 40s, this trio proved themselves worthy of the numerous awards that they have won over the years. With energy that surpassed anyone in the crowd, the band dominated the stage for close to two hours. “Marry Me” received particularly good reactions from the ladies, with many swooning as Jimmy crooned his way into the audience’s hearts. With such terrific music in so charged an environment, the crowd was on an all-time high, singing and dancing along to every song. Yet, it was as if the entire auditorium was waiting for that one great song to send them over.

Photos Courtesy of Aloysius Lim (LAMC Prodcutions), Ryo Yamamoto, mtv.com,

 

The pop-rock trio knew, and they delivered.

When the signature tune of “Drops of Jupiter” hit the stage, you could have sworn a bomb exploded in the theatre. 2000 voices came together in a symphony of magic, paying tribute to the stars that graced the stage that night. And when the curtain finally came down, applause resounded throughout the entire theatre.

A little cheesy gesture perhaps, but one that Train definitely deserved.