By Josh Bell
Mandalay Bay Beach, 9 p.m. Aug. 18, $45 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000
Some music is just perfect for summertime, and what better place to experience summertime music than at the beach? OK, Mandalay Bay Beach is man-made rather than natural, but it still feels like the real thing, and there’s no chance of getting stung by a jellyfish. So it’s the ideal location for a performance by singer-songwriters Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw, whose breezy, catchy music is a stellar summer soundtrack. Just listen to Caillat’s 2007 hit “Bubbly” and you can practically feel the sun on your face and the breeze through your hair. Caillat comes from the beach community of Malibu, Calif., and her music reflects that laid-back vibe and sunny outlook on life.
DeGraw doesn’t come from a beach community, but his music is similarly light and airy, with a lilting quality that provides a nice contrast to Caillat’s more down-to-earth sound. Best known for hits like “Chariot” and “I Don’t Want to Be,” DeGraw has provided the soundtrack for numerous TV shows (“I Don’t Want to Be” served as the theme to One Tree Hill) and probably for more than a few teenage make-out sessions as well.
Caillat and DeGraw are close friends who are both hitting the charts with recent singles; Caillat’s “Brighter Than the Sun” and DeGraw’s “Not Over You” are both getting lots of radio play right now. So if you’ve heard a particularly summery song lately, it might be one of those, and now you can hear them in the perfect atmosphere.
