Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, 8 March
Ever since I fell in love with the 24K Magic album, I've wanted to see a Bruno Mars live show. However, I couldn't quite make the timings work for any of his NYC shows last year, and I wasn't ready to invest in traveling to see him either. However, I have nothing against a situation in which Bruno and I happen to be traveling to the same place, especially if that place is Melbourne, Australia AND he's performing on my birthday. It was meant to be – and the show was pretty damn amazing, even from behind-the-stage seats. Bruno and his band are consummate showmen: they can all sing, dance, and play instruments – often all at once. I got to hear my favorite songs from 24K Magic, plus "Treasure", which is pretty much a modern classic in my book. The show was sold out (in fact, it was one of four sold out shows in Melbourne) and the crowd was super lively and totally into it. The sets and lighting effects (what I could see of them from my poor vantage point) were hella slick and totally on point – but let's face it, you don't really need a flashy set when you've got killer moves and can hit all the right notes without fail.
Theatre Corona, Montréal, 14 April
While this show was not nearly as good as the one in Boston last year (nor did I expect it to be), I think it is not actually possible for a Rick Astley live show to be bad. Rick's voice is too good and his stage presence and charisma too irresistible to produce anything other than an amazing evening of live music. For this show, Rick added "Hopelessly" from Body & Soul to the set list, which was a very nice addition. Otherwise, he played all the hits that everyone expects, threw in his usual Ed Sheeran ("Shape of You") and AC/DC ("Highway to Hell") covers, and told lots of amusing jokes and entertaining stories between songs. At only 90 minutes, the show felt a bit short, but Rick gave it his all for every single one of those minutes, and the audience gave the love right back to him.
Apollo Theater, 8 June
This was one of the most unique live performances I've ever attended. It was just Francis Farewell Starlite up on stage doing his thing, which is comprised of singing, dancing in his own modern interpretative style, and creating some awesome visuals on the huge screen behind him. His performance was strange and brave and amazing, and the rawness of his performance style, especially his dancing, is courageous. I would imagine that to get up in front of so many people and express himself in such an open and honest way takes guts. The show was a feast for the senses that brought an extremely diverse audience together via the pure joy that Francis exudes while performing.
St. Ann's Warehouse, 20 April
Seeing Rufus Wainwright perform at a venue in Brooklyn seemed like something that was missing from my collection of experiences. For some reason, I didn't go see him at BAM a few years back, so I figured his brief engagement at St. Ann's Warehouse would be the perfect way to tick this particular item off of my NYC bucket list. The Northern Stars show consists of Rufus performing covers of songs by Canadian artists (he grew up in Montéal) such as Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, the McGarrigle sisters, and others. While many of the songs by these artists are rather sombre, and thus particularly well-suited for Wainwright's usual languorous delivery, it was the more upbeat and fun songs that I loved the most, especially "Do You Believe In Magic" (apparently The Lovin' Spoonful had a Toronto connection, plus Rufus's daughter loves this song), "Love Lift Us Up Where We Belong" (Rufus did this as a duet with his sister Martha, and it was like watching the best karaoke performance ever), "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", and an extremely camp version of "Safety Dance" (#yaskween). On the more serious side of things, Rufus's cover of "Both Sides Now" was truly exquisite. Rufus is a charming and charismatic performer, and he delivered excellent between-song anecdotes and patter, fueled by a dry wit that reminds me of a more camp version of Duncan Sheik. Northern Stars is indeed a very special show, and I'm glad that my first time seeing Rufus Wainwright live was so magical.
Madison Square Garden, 7 August
Even though this show was very similar to the one I saw in Vegas last year, it was still a highly enjoyable evening of music and didn't feel at all like a retread. Rod Stewart is such an excellent performer who truly understands the meaning of showmanship. He also has so very many amazing songs. The setlist was pretty much back to back hits, and even the one new song ("Hole In My Heart") he did from his latest album, Blood Red Roses, was totally rockin'. Sir Rod still sounds great, and he is fun to watch because he clearly loves being up on stage singing for his fans. I got into Rod Stewart just a couple of years ago, but now that I've discovered how magical he is, I'll see him perform live any chance I get.
Radio City Music Hall, 24 February
As much as I wish these guys were headlining (and they most certainly have the chops to do so), they were instead one of two opening acts for Little Big Town. Since they had the first spot of the night, they only got to play six songs to a sparsely populated auditorium. However, they performed the hell out of those six songs, and the guys showed that they most certainly have what it takes as singers, musicians, and performers, with the acoustics of Radio City bringing out the rich timbre of singer Mark Wystrach's voice to great effect. Their rendition of "Burn Out" turned Radio City Music Hall into a honky tonk, and hearing a live version of "More Than A Fever" had me melting into my seat. "Drinkin' Problem" was a crowd favorite, and the set was rounded out by "Check Cashin' Country," "Make A Little," and "This Old Heart." While I am happy that Midland is making the rounds and getting exposure to a wider country audience, I am looking forward to the day when I get to see them headline (any size of venue) and play a full length set, mainly because I would love to hear "She's Gone" and "Electric Rodeo" live, as well as experience "More Than A Fever" in person as many times as humanly possible.
Blue Note, 19 August
I had been wanting to see Kyle Eastwood at the Blue Note for several years, but I could never make any of his dates work with my schedule until now. To be totally honest, I was mainly interested in seeing him because he is Clint Eastwood's son. However, now that I've seen Kyle perform, I am totally into who he is as a jazz musician. Kyle plays bass and has a very talented band (piano, drums, trumpet, saxophone) that plays with him. While Kyle sits in the middle of the stage, he is super low-key, and the music is clearly a collaborative effort among the whole band. The style of jazz is cool and piano driven; it reminds me of a classy cocktail lounge in the late 60s, as well as of Erroll Garner and early Herbie Hancock (there's even a wonderful version of Hancock's "Dolphin Dance" on Kyle's album Time Pieces). I highly recommend seeing Kyle's set if he comes to a jazz club near you, or checking out some of his albums, which just happen to be perfect mood music for adding a touch of sophistication to chill evenings.
Joe's Pub, 23 June
Alan Cumming is a wonderful entertainer who knows how to captivate an audience. His cabaret-style show, Alan Cumming: Legal Immigrant, includes a delightful collection of stories and songs, and aims to remind audiences that immigrants are what makes America great by showcasing their contributions to the arts. Alan's stories, often told with impish glee, were the highlight of the evening, though the music and songs were enjoyable as well. My favorite number was a medley of "How Far I'll Go" from Moana with "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid. Cumming's wide-ranging taste and influences, along with his witty and smart personality, allow him to come across as relatable and down-to-earth, and it was a pleasure to be part of his world for two hours.
Joe's Pub, 5 February
Darryl Hall has better hair and his own web show, and he gets all the glory. But I've realized over the years that many of my favorite Hall & Oates songs (namely "Las Vegas Turnaround," "She's Gone," "Is It a Star," and "Alone Too Long") are heavy on the Oates. Thus, I figured it was about time that I gave John Oates his due. While John Oates certainly has a very different personality from Daryl Hall, he is just as entertaining. Oates told many fun and interesting stories about his songs throughout the evening, which was heavy on tracks from his new album, Arkansas, but also featured older solo material, and a couple Hall & Oates selections. Those selections were a reggae version of "Maneater" and a delightfully twangy version of "You Make My Dreams." I also greatly enjoyed the songs "Lose It in Louisiana" and "Let Him Come to You," both of which exemplify a mellow country style that I most commonly associate with early Jimmy Buffett. The range of musical styles which John Oates drew from in this solo performance emphasize what an accomplished songwriter, musician, and entertainer he is in his own right.
City Winery, 15 July
As I learned from seeing Kiefer Sutherland perform at Bowery Ballroom last year, actors who can sing make great front-men because they have charisma to spare and know how to hold the audience in the palm of their hand. Dennis Quaid is no exception. His set, with his band The Sharks, was a mix of original songs and covers. The covers were heavy on Southern rock n' roll, including "I Walk the Line", "Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On", and "Great Balls of Fire". However, the highlight of the show was two Doors songs, "Riders on the Storm" and "LA Woman", performed back-to-back. I am a huge fan of Jim Morrison and The Doors, so it was awesome to hear top quality versions of these songs live. Dennis Quaid did a rather good job channeling Jim Morrison, both in sound and attitude, for his performance. From concert footage I've seen, Jim Morrison always seemed to have a slightly crazed, "what will he do next?" vibe going for him while performing, and Dennis Quaid has that same vibe. Dennis was all over the stage – both during the Doors songs, and in general – and full of manic energy, making him totally fascinating to watch; it seemed like there was a gleam in his eye for the whole show. This is not in anyway meant to undermine his skill as a musician and singer, because he has chops in both departments, and was able to skillfully pull off a range of musical and vocal styles.
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