Travis - The Lake Fever Sessions

Travis is a band that I am very fond of. They are one of my all time favorites and I have been a fan for more than ten years. Their music has been the soundtrack to my late adolescence - it is hopefully and happy, but also very melancholy. The lyrics of Fran are very profound, descriptive and relatable. Each of their songs takes me back to a different time and different memory. They have released 6 studio albums, but have over 150 songs. I cannot choose a favorite, but there are some that have really moved me including: "Sing", "Before You Were Young", "Side", "Closer", "My Eyes", "Pipe Dreams", "Big Chair", "More Than Us", "Driftwood", "Song To Self", "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?".. and so many more.

In 2001, Travis released a concert DVD called "More Than Us" and it is my favorite concert DVDs. The guys are brilliant. The lead singer, Fran is hilarious with his banter with the audience. The concert was shot in Glasgow, the band's home town, and the crowd is brilliant. After watching the DVD for several years, in April, I finally had to opportunity to see Travis live. It was an amazing show in a small venue.

 In October, lead singer Fran Healy and lead Guitarist Andy Dunlup went on an acoustic tour/show called "A Chronological Acoustical Journey Through the Travis Back Catalogue". It was amazing! The show started with the first song Fran wrote, and ended with the last song he wrote. And in between Fran shared stories and pictures about the origins of their songs. It was amazing to hear Fran talk about his inspirations and ideas. Especially with Fran's sense of humor - at one point, he had pictures of Jake Gyllenhaal, and a flag he created by combining the flags of Spain and Israel. The man is not only a musical genius, he is hilarious.

During their last tour, Fran and Andy stopped by the Lakeview Sessions and recorded a few of their songs.

"Driftwood":

"Big Chair":

"More Than Us":