Colbie Caillat (Photo Cred Darren Lee)

“I don’t care what they say, Cause I have seen when we run we make it rain, there’s nothing better than this, I’ll keep wanting you for just one more kiss.” Colbie Caillat drew the curtain beautifully with the song “Make it Rain” from her new album All of You, which was released only five days after her performance at the House of Blues in Anaheim on August 7th, 2011. It was an elegant and impressionable opening to the show.

Colbie has one of the most pure voices in the acoustic genre. Her beach-inspired, casual style, which every Southern California girl can relate to, compliments her tropical vibes. Simply hearing her words and chords draws you to a vacation fantasy of fine sand, palm trees and an endless blue sea horizon. She can call out to the king of reggae with natural ease and sing to hundreds of fans as if the stage is nothing more than an intimate camp fire serenade among friends.

The lineup was a balanced list of songs pulled from each of her three main albums released over the past five years. She floated through “The Little Things,” and “Realize” off of 2007’s Coco, then invited us to softly sing along to such songs as “Begin Again,” “I Never Told You,” and Oxygen” from her Breakthrough collection.

As usual I started this blog entry soon after the concert, and finished it months later. The challenges of life can consume you, making time accelerate and stop in a series of violent motions. My adoration for most of Colbie’s sweet melodies hit the recently fortified walls of my broken heart with a thud. A feeling, which at the time I was unaware, that I would return to a fifth and sixth time over in the time to come. The raw lyrics and notes echoed in my racing mind and my best friend was by my side singing and swaying trying to get me to sing along. I did my best to refuse to avoid feeling, but leave it to Colbie’s cover of Jason Mraz’s “Lucky” to make me shed a single tear wishing that one day I would find the best friend to fall in love with.

After those melodramatic, possibly pathetic, yet true moments, the irony continued during the encore with a hybrid song: part “Breakeven” by The Script and part “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman. It was the perfect storm at the time for an emotional breakdown but I held my ground, relying on pride to carry me through. What I loved most about this part of the show was the creative expression and tribute to her fellow musicians. It proves that no matter how big a star, the appreciation for music continues to develop and inspire true talent.

Colbie finished her final set with a taste of the new and the old, illustrating just how far she has come since she came to the scene. “Brighter Than The Sun” pulls her further into the pop realm, but she remembers her foundation as the sun kissed acoustic guitarist with one of her first hits “Bubbly.” The lyrics speak to my connection and love for music, “it starts in my soul”, and always take this wherever I go.