That's not to say she didn't have several good songs, including the gliding, bittersweet "Midnight Bottle" and hummable, skip-with-a-smile "Tailor Made," written for her sister and future brother-in-law. She was almost lively for the muted reggae styling of "Tied Down," with her songwriting partner, guitarist Justin Young, playing ukulele. She was most comfortable strapping on an acoustic guitar to strum her breakout hit, the summertime-breezy "Bubbly," which has made her a female Jack Johnson of sorts. An encore featured a slow take on the Rolling Stones' "Beast of Burden" that missed all the irony of the original. This variety of Colbie certainly is earnest and not cheesy in the least, but does need to age.

On the spectrum of laid-back, acoustic rock nice guys, Jason Reeves falls somewhere in the middle. While he doesn’t exude the effortless, surfer-dude cool of a Jack Johnson, he can be commended for not possessing the spastic tendencies of a Jason Mraz, either. Reeves is really good at what he does: writing sweet, good-natured tunes (without much lyrical heft) backed by rhythmic folk rock sounds. The only problem is that what Reeves does well has been done and done and done before. It’s unlikely to matter; the mainstream appeal inherent in Reeves’ sound and his closeness to the “Bubbly” songstress headliner (the ubiquitous hit is one of several tunes the pair have co-written) seem to suggest a destiny that ends in widespread success.

Reeves’ live show is much like his studio performance: catchy, rhythmic, sophisticated songwriting, without much substance underneath the surface. While his voice and guitar work are phenomenal on stage, midway through his set, one cannot help but be somewhat bored. Sticking close to the microphone and keeping his eyes closed or focused everywhere but his audience for the majority of the 10 song performance, Reeves certainly didn’t feel obligated to engage with them, who ultimately lost interest as the show continued. Reeves may already have what it takes to reach success but a willingness to explore something beyond the conventional, both in the studio and on stage, might ensure the type of viability that would last beyond a few summer radio hits.

Photos © Chad Carlson