Post by bexface on Apr 8, 2003 10:03:44 GMT -5
Before I start, let me state for the record that I really like Annie’s music. Both her solo efforts and that with Dave Stuart (Eurythmics) are filled with great musical moments and are clean and beautifully-produced. She does a fair job of conveying this live but I must say that her concert (the one I attended last week) does not bring out the full power of her songs. So it is with a little remorse that I admit the concert disappointed me.
The venue is quite attractive. It is a converted church attached to the Masonic Temple complex in Detroit. The surrounding area is classic run-down Detroit; you would never have suspected a great concert venue was nearby. I would be remiss in not mentioning the mechanics of getting in and out of that place are poor. There is only one way in or out for the general populace which made going to the bar or bathroom or getting to my seat an ordeal. But the place inside is marvelous and seemed to have great acoustics.
I got in my seat just as Annie was grooving to the first verses of “Money Can’t Buy It.” She was dressed in black slacks with a dull black sports coat and a thin black wool cap over her very short blond hair. She sported (at the beginning) a pair of rectangular shades. No question she looked quite hip. The show started off well with tunes from her fabulous “Diva” album. She emphasized her lines with graceful movements, arms and hands opening up, closing in, stretching out to the audience or to the sky. She was very artsy-fartsy for “No More I Love Yous,” striking poses throughout (you could envision her with one of those long cigarette holders while singing this particular song). She eventually took off the jacket to reveal an almost-shear black sleeveless blouse.
Her band was quite massive, a large group on stage at once, consisting of drummer (Steve Barney), bassist (Paul Turner), two keyboardists (Bernie Smith and Adam Wakeman), guitarist (Tony Remy), and three black female backing vocalists (Carol Kenyon, Beverly Skeete, Claudia Fontaine). She mentioned at one point that this was only their fifth show together and it showed. The gel between all of them still needs to be developed. Each was good in their own right but I didn’t get a sense of flowing music between them. Annie started throwing in some songs that I had no clue about. (After the Eurhythmics, she put out two solo albums that are absolutely marvelous: “Diva” and “Medusa” which I would highly recommend. I discovered later that she played four songs from an album that she will release this June.) She asked the audience how many people were over the age of 48 to which quite a few raised their hands. (That made her applaud them, as she is that old too.) She also admitted to being a little apprehensive as this was her first “solo” tour. (I guess all previous times, not including the Central Park concert, she had been with Dave S.)
After “Cold,” the display screen behind the stage advertised it was “Pause” time (sort of like intermission?). The stage crew re-arranged some equipment so the drummer could play to the side, the shortened piano from the left side of the stage was brought up front and Annie proceeded to sit there while the rest of the band walked off-stage (another Secret Time like Tori?). She explained that she always wrote music at the piano but rarely performed it that way as she wasn’t much of a pianist. Then she ran off a beautiful rendition, with only piano, of “Here Comes the Rain Again.” She introduced her next selection by mentioning she had recorded it here in Detroit with Aretha Franklin, which gave it right away for me (“Sisters are Doing it for Themselves,” done during her Eurhythmics days). First it was herself on piano, then the three backing vocalists came on stage and lined up in front. The pianist (Bernie Smith) took her place at the piano while Annie joined the rest of the vocalists, all four of them lined up in front. All of them took the lead vocal, sharing it amongst each other with some very soulful renditions put out. Probably the best part of the concert. Then the rest of the band came back but stood much closer to the front of the stage versus back in their corners like in the first half of the concert, which made for a more intimate feeling. During the encore, she took off her wool cap and changed into a silver blouse.
After the show, I went to someone who had the set list to find out the names of the new tunes. When I did so, it became apparent we received a shortened version of the concert. Three songs had been scratched off (“Honestly” during the main set and “Missionary Man” and “I Need A Man” from the middle of the encore, making the encore two songs, rather than four). The lady with the set list mentioned that Annie’s voice was strained and a bit off so they had to cut the show short. Which made me feel even less enthusiastic about this particular show. She had barely been onstage, less than one hour and 45 minutes. No opening act. For the face value of the ticket (VERY expensive), one would certainly have wanted more. So, despite my love for her music and voice, I am posting my lowest concert review so far.
Bexface rating: 6.25 out of 10
Setlist
Money Can’t Buy It
Legend in My Living Room
Bird
1000 Beautiful Things *
No More I Love Yous
Broken Glass
Pavement Cracks *
Cold
Here Comes The Rain Again
Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves
Who’s That Girl
You Have Place A Chill In My Heart
Don’t Let It Bring You Down
Wonderful *
Hurting Time (not sure about this title) *
Would I Lie To You?
-------
Sweet Dreams Are Made of This
Why
* to be released on her new solo album in June
Next up, Ani….
The venue is quite attractive. It is a converted church attached to the Masonic Temple complex in Detroit. The surrounding area is classic run-down Detroit; you would never have suspected a great concert venue was nearby. I would be remiss in not mentioning the mechanics of getting in and out of that place are poor. There is only one way in or out for the general populace which made going to the bar or bathroom or getting to my seat an ordeal. But the place inside is marvelous and seemed to have great acoustics.
I got in my seat just as Annie was grooving to the first verses of “Money Can’t Buy It.” She was dressed in black slacks with a dull black sports coat and a thin black wool cap over her very short blond hair. She sported (at the beginning) a pair of rectangular shades. No question she looked quite hip. The show started off well with tunes from her fabulous “Diva” album. She emphasized her lines with graceful movements, arms and hands opening up, closing in, stretching out to the audience or to the sky. She was very artsy-fartsy for “No More I Love Yous,” striking poses throughout (you could envision her with one of those long cigarette holders while singing this particular song). She eventually took off the jacket to reveal an almost-shear black sleeveless blouse.
Her band was quite massive, a large group on stage at once, consisting of drummer (Steve Barney), bassist (Paul Turner), two keyboardists (Bernie Smith and Adam Wakeman), guitarist (Tony Remy), and three black female backing vocalists (Carol Kenyon, Beverly Skeete, Claudia Fontaine). She mentioned at one point that this was only their fifth show together and it showed. The gel between all of them still needs to be developed. Each was good in their own right but I didn’t get a sense of flowing music between them. Annie started throwing in some songs that I had no clue about. (After the Eurhythmics, she put out two solo albums that are absolutely marvelous: “Diva” and “Medusa” which I would highly recommend. I discovered later that she played four songs from an album that she will release this June.) She asked the audience how many people were over the age of 48 to which quite a few raised their hands. (That made her applaud them, as she is that old too.) She also admitted to being a little apprehensive as this was her first “solo” tour. (I guess all previous times, not including the Central Park concert, she had been with Dave S.)
After “Cold,” the display screen behind the stage advertised it was “Pause” time (sort of like intermission?). The stage crew re-arranged some equipment so the drummer could play to the side, the shortened piano from the left side of the stage was brought up front and Annie proceeded to sit there while the rest of the band walked off-stage (another Secret Time like Tori?). She explained that she always wrote music at the piano but rarely performed it that way as she wasn’t much of a pianist. Then she ran off a beautiful rendition, with only piano, of “Here Comes the Rain Again.” She introduced her next selection by mentioning she had recorded it here in Detroit with Aretha Franklin, which gave it right away for me (“Sisters are Doing it for Themselves,” done during her Eurhythmics days). First it was herself on piano, then the three backing vocalists came on stage and lined up in front. The pianist (Bernie Smith) took her place at the piano while Annie joined the rest of the vocalists, all four of them lined up in front. All of them took the lead vocal, sharing it amongst each other with some very soulful renditions put out. Probably the best part of the concert. Then the rest of the band came back but stood much closer to the front of the stage versus back in their corners like in the first half of the concert, which made for a more intimate feeling. During the encore, she took off her wool cap and changed into a silver blouse.
After the show, I went to someone who had the set list to find out the names of the new tunes. When I did so, it became apparent we received a shortened version of the concert. Three songs had been scratched off (“Honestly” during the main set and “Missionary Man” and “I Need A Man” from the middle of the encore, making the encore two songs, rather than four). The lady with the set list mentioned that Annie’s voice was strained and a bit off so they had to cut the show short. Which made me feel even less enthusiastic about this particular show. She had barely been onstage, less than one hour and 45 minutes. No opening act. For the face value of the ticket (VERY expensive), one would certainly have wanted more. So, despite my love for her music and voice, I am posting my lowest concert review so far.
Bexface rating: 6.25 out of 10
Setlist
Money Can’t Buy It
Legend in My Living Room
Bird
1000 Beautiful Things *
No More I Love Yous
Broken Glass
Pavement Cracks *
Cold
Here Comes The Rain Again
Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves
Who’s That Girl
You Have Place A Chill In My Heart
Don’t Let It Bring You Down
Wonderful *
Hurting Time (not sure about this title) *
Would I Lie To You?
-------
Sweet Dreams Are Made of This
Why
* to be released on her new solo album in June
Next up, Ani….
