Catchin' TRAIN at the Tropicana Field for Rays Saturday Night Concert Series

August 14th after the Ray’s sweet victory over the Orioles, Train came rollin’ through the Trop for a Saturday Night Concert Series performance. Recently hitting it big-ger with “Hey, Soul Sister,” the 90’s pop-rock sensation drew in the biggest following I’d seen on Tropicana Field and even within the stands, so far.

Despite the Rays loss on Friday and the usual hurdles us reviewers have to jump over just to get into the show, Train was definitely worth it all. Taking the stage after a corny train sounds audio intro complete with the sounds of the steam engine and train whistle, front-man Pat Monahan commanded the attention of fans in a blue shiny tee and extremely white, tight pants. If that’s not pop music, I don’t know what is.

It almost didn’t sound like Train at first but then they belted out that signature sound that makes them popular over and over again. They opened with “Parachute” off of 2009’s “Save Me San Francisco” album. Monahan said, “Let’s fill this place with love,” as he launched into some hippie-ish, swaying dance moves then hit a crazy high note electrifying the audience through the field into the stands.

When they busted out “Meet Virginia,” complete with a rockin’ guitar solo, the show had really taken off. For “She’s On Fire” Monahan pulled out a guitar and stopped halfway into the song to announce that “Hey, Soul Sister” was now being played on the Country Music channel while he put on a cowboy hat. “Yes, it greatly confused us as well,” Monahan joked, “but it increases our chances of becoming the greatest country music band ever.” Train then played another verse of “She’s On Fire” in country fashion and style until deciding to have even more fun and bring up a group of kids about 12 and under sporting homemade shirts reading “Trainette” to sing the rest of the song with them. At the end of the whole fun, “She’s On Fire” production Monahan bowed with his Trainettes and let them rejoin the crowd.

“I Got You” was next on the set list followed by my current favorite, “If It’s Love,” which had the entirety of Tropicana Field singing along. I jumped on with Train when I “met” Virginia back in the early 90’s but their recent hits kept me even more enthralled than before. I mean who doesn’t know and love the “Hey, Soul Sister” song?

They played “Calling All Angels,” from their third album, did a cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” saying they wished they wrote that one, and then did the title track from their most recent release, “Save Me San Francisco.” I could feel the audience waiting for “Hey, Soul Sister,” and one other hit, which I’ll admit I was dying to see too, “Drops of Jupiter.”

After changing into his “whites” and showing some skin by changing shirts onstage, Monahan said he wanted to marry the whole crowd and entered the packed field to do just that while singing “Marry Me.” Fans were breaking off, running around and trying to spot him and grab him at every chance they could get while his security guards were keeping him at a safe distance from the masses.

The anticipation was high when they finally played it: “Hey, Soul Sister.” It was then that the crowd went completely nuts! Everyone was singing along and it was as poppy and amazing live as it is every other time you hear it. I was almost nervous that they would leave us without it but they closed with “Drops of Jupiter” and all was right in the world again! By far my all time favorite Train song, and seemingly that of many audience members, “Drops of Jupiter” was the perfect way to end the Saturday Night Concert Series at the Trop and to leave my experience with Train. I will definitely be seeing them live again because they put on a damn good show, but if they keep writing hits, followers like the Trainettes will come running to catch Train too!