California-based singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat played the House of Blues in Dallas Monday night to a near-capacity crowd.
Caillat's last trip to Dallas was in the summer of 2007 where she was an opener for the Goo Goo Dolls at Superpages.com Center -- playing to a modest number of her fans who showed up very early to see the opener for the opener.
Since then, Caillat's fanbase has grown exponentially. She has been busy touring the world with the likes of musicians like John Mayer; playing to crowds in Europe, Japan, Australia and South America; penning a song for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and releasing a deluxe edition of her stunning debut album Coco that includes eight new tracks.
"We wanted to release the deluxe album of Coco to kind of give them [new fans] that CD along with new songs that have been played for the past year on the tour," said Caillat. "I've been doing cover songs, like Bob Marley's 'Turn Your Lights Down Low' and Lauren Hill's 'Tell Him,' and then a couple of duets -- one with Juanes and one with The Wailers."
She has certainly stayed busy and said the trend will continue into 2009 where she promises a new record in the summer that will be followed by another busy tour schedule.
"I finish this winter tour and then I have about four or five months break to record the album," said Caillat. "Then we start rehearsals for the next tour -- and then when the second album comes out in the summertime we start the next tour."
Despite being on the road for the past year and a half, Caillat has still managed to find a few minutes to write and work on songs for her next album.
"Writing is weird sometimes. A year ago when I first stated touring I had no inspiration because I was too busy," said Caillat. "Later I had more time to be on my own after a show and I started writing songs. It just comes and goes."
Monday night, Caillat was supported by energetic pop singer Jon McLaughlin. McLaughlin's upbeat and heavy, piano-driven ballads were a good appetizer for Caillat's traditionally mellow offering.
Live, Caillat does not disappoint. She has a calm and charming stage presence -- and is obviously much more confident in front of a large audience than she has been in shows past. Caillat has forsaken the traditional setup on stage and pushed all of her musicians into somewhat of a semicircle around her -- allowing her to meander around the stage freely while slightly bouncing and dancing with her bandmates.
She certainly pleased the crowd in Dallas Monday night -- it seemed many of whom tried to outsing the young singer at performing her own songs.
Look for Caillat to return to Dallas in the late summer or early fall of 2009. If history is any indication of the future, Caillat's fanbase will continue to grow and she isn't long for shows in such small, intimate venues as the House of Blues. The next time she is in town -- get your ticket early.
