An evening of the Paul Colman Trio, whose humorous stage presence was loved by all, began with a surprise announcement that two other artists would also be performing. Colman later explained to the audience that the day before he'd lost his voice so he brought along two budding young performers, Simeon and Chrissie, to entertain the crowd in case he didn't get back his voice. Paul Colman didn't pack the church (it was the day of Football GrandFinals (Aussie Rules)) however, the audience of about a hundred was in for a great night of fun. 

Chrissie began the night playing songs off her debut EP entitled Do You Remember.  Her brand of acoustic contemporary pop was a little lighter than Simeon's and theTrio's, but it was a nice stage-setter for the rest of the night. She played three songs before being joined by Paul Colman on the last two numbers for a spellbinding performance, leaving the audience with a sense of awe after Colman loaned his masterful guitar-play and sweet background vocals. She was a little nervous during the talking parts, but what she lacked in experience she made up in talent. Time could see this find young musician meeting with national recognition. 

After a little break Simeon, backed up by the Paul Colman Trio, played five songs off his project, Into the Mirror. He got the audience in a fairly wild mood with his catchy acoustic pop/rock and left the building with quite a few new fans. With one single, "Spinning World," receiving frequent radio play, and another, "Close Your Eyes," ready for release, Simeon is quickly building a strong following around the country. People seem to be increasingly receptive to acoustic-based music, especially for a time when ska and swing are so popular. There is no doubt in my mind that Simeon has the potential to break onto the mainstream Christian market scene with a bit of promotion. 

The Paul Colman Trio finally rocked the audience for over an hour with witty humor. They encouraged crowd participation, even calling people up on stage, offering a free CD single for whoever could 'move to the groove' the best. The Trio far exceeded the other two with their performance. They played songs off Serious Fun, as well as a few hits off Colman's previous solo albums. They also made up songs on the spur of the moment, as when Colman announced he would sing "a very sad song," only to lament the loss of his team in the Grand Finals just a few hours earlier. There were also the Trio's characteristic impressions of other styles and artists, but there were not as many as I would have enjoyed. In a previous performance of theirs, they performed "Song 2" (Blur) in reggae, rap, bluegrass and even opera (yelled by Grant Norsworthy). However, despite this minor disappointment, the rest of the evening was an absolute blast. The music of each artist fitted nicely together, to give a fairly contemporary and acoustic feel. Outstanding performances of each of the artists reminded me not only of the extraordinary amount of talent out there, but also of how incredibly fun a concert can be, especially when you got a bunch of comedians up on stage!

Paul Colman is visiting America in just a matter of weeks. Follow the web-link at the top of this review to find out when you can catch him for a night of serious fun.