Have you ever looked around a crowded room and noticed that you were the youngest person there? After this past weekend, I can honestly say that I have.

On Saturday night, I found myself in the Quick Center, surrounded by a group of adults, who for the most part, had to be at least twice my age.  The event being held was a live, acoustic concert, featuring two artists who first emerged onto the music scene both before I was born and while I was only still in elementary school.

So what was I doing there?

Well, here’s the story.

A few weeks ago, I had stumbled upon a listing on the Quick Center’s website for a concert featuring Richard Marx, the famous singer and songwriter, and Matt Scannell, who is the lead singer of the band Vertical Horizon.  The pair was also scheduled to be accompanied by the Pacifica Quartet, a world-renowned chamber music ensemble.  After learning more about the concert,  I immediately contacted one of my friends, who I knew was a fan of Vertical Horizon, and we decided to buy tickets.

While my friend’s reason for attending was to see Matt Scannell,  I, on the other hand, was more familiar with Richard Marx, who about ten years ago, wrote and produced “This I Promise You,” my favorite song by my all-time favorite musical group ‘N Sync.  Marx is also very well known for his other work, including “Right Here Waiting,” “Now and Forever” and “Hazard,” which were chart-topping hits in the late 80s and early to mid 90s.

Back in 1991, Scannell formed the band Vertical Horizon, which later topped the charts in 2000, with the hit song “Everything You Want” and an album of the same name.

In 2008, Marx and Scannell teamed up for a series of live, acoustic, duo concerts.  They also released a CD together called Duo, which features various popular songs from both artists and one new, original song that they wrote together.   Two years later, the pair has continued to perform together, which is what brought them to the Fairfield University campus this past weekend.

Prior to the concert,  I had watched various videos on YouTube of their most recent shows, but on Saturday night, as I sat in Quick Center waiting for the concert to begin, I was still unsure of what to expect.

At around eight o’clock, Marx and Scannell made their way onto the stage and began the show by performing Marx’s 1988 hit “Endless Summer Nights.”  I was instantly taken aback by the great musical talent of both of these artists and when the song ended, my friend and I looked at each other in amazement.

The remainder of the concert most certainly did not disappoint, as Marx and Scannell told funny stories to the audience, joked around with each other and performed a total of fourteen songs.  The set list followed a distinct pattern, alternating between one of Scannell’s songs and one of Marx’s songs, all of which they performed together.

Throughout the night, I discovered that not only are Richard Marx and Matt Scannell very talented performers, but they also have great personalities and can keep a crowd laughing and entertained for over two hours.

After ending the set with Marx’s “Should’ve Known Better,” Marx and Scannell returned to the stage for an encore and performed their respective and greatest hits, “Everything You Want” and “Right Here Waiting.”  In my opinion, performing these two songs last was the best way to end what was already an amazing concert.

For anyone who loves acoustic music and would like to hear the songs of two very gifted performers, I would highly recommend picking up a copy of both their studio and live CDs. I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.