Brandon Flowers September 28, 2015 The Complex Salt Lake City

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I have had a few opportunities to see a member of a popular band go out on his/her own and do a solo show or two. Of course the crowd is excited to see them, and they are even more excited when they sing some songs from the band we know them from. Well, things were a little different Monday evening when I saw Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers, on his tour promoting his latest solo album, “The Desired Effect”.

First of all, this concert was originally meant to take place at The Depot, a venue that holds about 1,200 people. That show sold out really fast so they moved the concert to The Complex into the Rockwell room that holds about 2,500 to 3,000 people. This move afforded me the opportunity to attend this show. Some good friends of mine were able to grab the last 3 tickets before this show was once again sold out. I love The Killers, and I do really enjoy Brandon Flowers solo stuff, so I was truly grateful to be gifted their third ticket.

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Brandon Flowers appeared right at 9 PM. He made his appearance from the back of the venue, on what seemed to be a platform next to the sound board. The crowd was going crazy, especially people close to him, knowing this is the closest they’d be to him all night. But when he ran to the stage the entire audience went wild. About three or four songs into the set I realized this wasn’t a typical “lead singer, doing a solo show, and people will sit through the solo stuff to get to hear some songs from the band that made him big” show. As I looked around the majority of the audience were singing each and every word of the songs from Brandon Flowers solo stuff. And I mean singing them out as if they were huge Killers hits. They could go crazy when they heard the first chord of the song, or if he said the title of the song. I even commented to my buddy about it. It really was something I’d never seen. Now don’t get me wrong, I really like this new solo record, and I know a lot of the words. A lot of the words, not all the words to where I could sing them out all night long. I think that is a huge tribute to Brandon Flowers song writing ability, and the devotion of his fans.

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The things that stood out to me and my friends the most was the sound, the lighting of this concert, and Brandon himself. I believe I’ve mentioned before that The Complex is essentially just a huge warehouse with a stage and a bar in the back, therefore making it a concert venue. But what I really appreciate is that although it is not going to go down in history as the most charming of venues, they have done a great job making sure the sound is excellent in there. I have never been to a show at The Complex where the sound was bad, and this show was no exception.

The lighting of this show was one of my all time favorites. It seemed as if the lights had purpose, almost as if they were telling the story of the concert. I’m not sure who the lighting designer is for this tour, but I tip my hat. (PS, I’m not really wearing a hat right now. But I still did the tip hat motion, so it counts.) I just absolutely loved the lighting of this show! Each song was filled with it’s own amazing light show. Well done.

And of course Brandon himself. He did an exceptional job with the flow of his setlist. I believe he did five songs from The Killers catalogue. But the cool part is he did an altered take on each song. The Killers song “Human”, was really the only one that sounded close to original version.

It gave him a chance to flex his creative muscles, while giving the crowd a taste of some of the songs they’ve grown to love, while also keeping the original versions to be played where they belong, with The Killers. He seemed really happy to be playing in Salt Lake City. It was sort of a homecoming show for him, having spent some of his childhood growing up in Utah County. It seemed as if he knew people there, or just knew that the crowd was going to give him something special, so he returned it with a brilliant performance. It is clear that he has worked on his vocals over the years, because he sounded great live. Whether he has taken lessons over the years, or he can just hear himself better in the monitors, he has really improved his live singing, and it was a thrill for me to hear just how strong his vocals are. Despite having a solid 6 piece band and 2 back up singers, the attention was of course all on Brandon, and he did not disappoint. He told stories, and interacted with the crowd in a way that I have never seen him do before.

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While I’m looking forward to a new Killers album, and hopefully a tour, this was more than just a show to tide me over until then. This was its own thing. Its own event. Its own experience. I was initially hesitant to see Brandon Flowers without the rest of The Killers, but one thing I learned Monday night was that I’m not only a Brandon Flowers of The Killers fan, but I’m a Brandon Flowers solo fan, and I’ll see his solo shows anytime. They are not to be missed.

Setlist
Come Out With Me
Dreams Come True
Can’t Deny My Love
Crossfire
Magdalena
Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine (The Killers song)
Lonely Town
Diggin’Up the Heart
Read My Mind (The Killers song)
Untangled Love
Playing With Fire
Human (The Killers song)
Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont Remix) (The Killers song)

Encore:
Between Me and You
Still Want You
Only the Young

Erasure October 29, 2014 Capitol Theater, Salt Lake City

The first time I saw Erasure in concert I was 15 years old. It was also the very first concert I had ever been to. From that night I was hooked on the live concert experience. Now, considering that I’ve created a website dedicated to my love of concerts, it should seem clear that seeing Erasure live all those years ago, left quite an impression.

 

Well, here we are almost 25 years later, with many Erasure shows in between and I must say they still put on one of the most entertaining shows of anyone I’ve seen. The electronic orchestrations for this tour created by Vince Clarke were brilliantly done. There were 12” remixes of some older Erasure standards that gave the songs a new life. Andy Bell never fails to disappoint with his vocals or his energy on stage. Their two backup singers blended with Andy as beautifully as they have done over the last 25 years.

I suppose Erasure is considered an “80’s” band. But don’t expect to see a retrospective show with old songs rehashed for the millionth time. Believe it or not, Erasure still releases new music with charting success. Their current single “Elevation” is currently #6 on the Billboard Club Dance Chart. I’m not saying they’re going to be playing the VMA’s anytime soon, but I firmly believe that if one of their songs were recorded and released by Lady Gaga, Ellie Goulding, Lorde, Bastille or even Sam Smith, they would be hits for them. Erasure is Electro-Pop at it’s finest. And the beautiful thing about music created by computers and synthesizers is it can always be updated.  And that is something Erasure always does on their live shows. And in my opinion, it keeps them current, and interesting.

I’ve been to the Capitol Theater several times, but never for this type of concert. The acoustics are amazing! I had the good fortune of having my seats upgraded. The couple next to me wanted to see if I would be willing to move seats so their friends could sit by them. Well, their tickets just happened to be box seats! So, of course, I accepted their offer and, WOW, where my new seats incredible. I was basically sitting on top of the stage. I was so close that I’m almost positive I made eye contact with Andy Bell a couple times. I know my brother basically became best friends with one of the backup singers. I guess the sad part of getting older is some people can’t handle standing for an hour and a half straight. So while many others went through the battle of sitters and standers in the same section, I was in a box with no one behind me. So you’d better believe I was up and dancing the entire show. But that’s how it’s supposed to be at an Erasure show. Even some of the ushers were dancing in the aisles! In the past, they’d do a cool down song so people could sit and recover for the home stretch of the show. But not this time. Any song that was usually slow, was remixed to be a fast club style dance song. Which I absolutely loved. This was the perfect seat for me to see the show but also people watch as well. The only weird part about being in a box seat is everyone could look up and see me. I noticed times where people looking up at me dancing. So if you see any sweet new dance moves out there in the clubs, you know where they were ripped off from.

The best part about seeing Erasure in Salt Lake City is the unique diversity of the audience. For those that don’t know, Andy Bell (Lead Singer), is openly gay and has been throughout the existence of the band. So at all their shows, there will usually be a large turnout from the LGBT community. But, Mormons also really like Erasure. So it is interesting to see a crowd mixed together that normally might not be. I mean, in what other place are you going to see that formerly braided belted denim shirted 1992 BYU alum and his previously claw-haired wife dancing and singing in unison with a gay couple wearing leather pants and t-shirts from past Erasure tours? Only in Salt Lake City at an Erasure show. It’s great.

The setlist was put together perfectly. The show opened with a huge fan favorite “Oh’ Lamour”, and they were off from there. They spread three songs from their new album throughout the show, and the rest of the set was a perfect mix of hits, and some gems like “Star”, “You Surround Me”, and “Joan” that they haven’t played in at least fifteen years. I know that I’m going to get their best every time I see them. And I’ve seen them a lot!

You can count on Vince standing behind his synthesizers, laptop, and sometimes acoustic guitar very stone-faced but bobbing his head to the music, and enjoying the show in his way. And you can count on Andy dancing across the stage in his signature style, and in his signature flashy stage attire. This tour he decided on extremely tight and extremely shiny pants, coat with tails and a top hat. Once upon a time, there would be multiple costume changes, but we settled for one change this tour. What were once sequin speedos, are now sequin booty shorts with a black tank top, but the crowd roared just the same when Andy reemerged from the wings in his new getup.

I never grow tired of seeing Erasure live. They aren’t the type of band you can only see once. They are going to give you something fun and different on each tour. Tonight I felt as if I was in a dance club that had access to my iPod. If you like Erasure and have never seen them, I could not encourage you enough to see them the next time they come to town. You know I’ll be there!

Setlist
Oh L’Amour
Star
Reason
Breath of Life
You Surround Me
Elevation
I Lose Myself
Drama!
Victim of Love
Ship of Fools
Sacred
Breathe
Joan
Blue Savannah
Chorus
Love to Hate You
A Little Respect
Chains of Love

Encore-
Always
Sometimes

Paul McCartney August 7, 2014 Energy Solutions Arena

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How many of you can remember when you heard The Beatles for the first time? My guess if you’re under the age of 50, you don’t recall that moment of in your life. They have just been a part of your life from the beginning. I imagine as it is with me, you’ve heard, loved, and appreciated not only the greatest of The Beatles but also enjoyed Wings and Sir Paul solo hits. Now imagine this lifelong soundtrack wrapped up in one 39 song, 3 hour concert. That is what those of us who were fortunate enough to attend Paul McCartney’s recent concert at Energy Solutions Arena were blessed with. He covered it all.

The lights dimmed and The Paul McCartney walked on stage right at 8:30 PM. The crowd rose to their feet and the arena was as loud as I’ve ever heard it. Sir Paul didn’t say anything, he just waved, strapped on his iconic violin bass guitar, and opened the show with Beatles favorite “Eight Days a Week”. I didn’t think the crowd could be any louder, but when that song started the crowd volume rose even higher.

On a personal note, I’ve been trying to see Sir Paul since I was a senior in high school. Now we don’t need to get into how old I am, but let’s just say, if someone was born the day I first started trying to see this man in concert, they could have easily bought a beer at last nights show. It’s been a long time coming. So when Sir Paul walked out, and I was seeing him with my own eyes, and hearing one of my favorite songs live, I will admit, my emotions got the better of me. Music means so much to me, and this man’s music has not only influenced me, but influenced so many other bands and artists that I love. To have now have him directly in front of me was almost too much to take, and almost impossible to believe. I think I still have pinch marks on my arm from the continual reminders that this night was real. I’m sure for many reading this, that’s a little much. But for those who share my feelings, I know you get it.

Paul McCartney mixed his set list with an artistry that I think other bands should take a look at and apply to their setlist decision process. Paul has a new album out. It’s pretty good. But I don’t imagine people went to this show to hear the new album (conveniently named NEW). He was able to sneak in 4 songs from his current album, because he sandwiched them between Beatles songs, or a Beatles songs and a Wings song. But we were never left sitting there dying to get to the next big song from the catalogue we came to hear. He got to it. Did he ever. The thing about The Beatles, is just with Sir Paul’s songs alone, we could have been there for two more hours. But the cool part about that is he would do songs that we may have not expected. Songs like, “I’ve Just Seen a Face”, “Lovely Rita”, or “ Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da “, or Wings hits like “Hi-Hi-Hi” and “Let Me Roll It”. All of them came as a pleasant surprise to the crowd. Almost like an “Oh yeah, I love this song!”. I don’t know how he decides on his set list. There are so many great songs to choose from. Normally a band has at least ten songs they have to play, and then they play maybe five or six off the new album, then maybe five others of their choosing. Sir Paul has so many songs he can’t do that. It’s no wonder his shows go almost 40 songs deep.

While I would say the majority of the audience were Beatles fans from the beginning, there was a good mix of young and not so young. I’m not a fan of sitting down at concerts, but the show was so good, I couldn’t let it bother me that we sat for a good portion for the show. But again, the show was 3 hours long. Most of these people haven’t stood for three hours straight in at least 25 years. But when the time was right, we were all on our feet dancing to this amazing music.
I had the benefit of sitting behind a man who undoubtedly watched the four lads from Liverpool appear on the “Ed Sullivan Show” for the first time, and in front of two teenage guys who most likely have no idea who Ed Sullivan is. I could see the man in front of me sing every word to every classic song as if he was back in his teen days himself. I was ultimately impressed with the teens behind me. They were singing right along to every song Sir Paul performed. Even songs from the new album. Impressive! One, that they were such huge Paul fans at such a young age, and two, that I could actually hear their voices over the beautifully loud, and perfectly mixed music. When I realized I could hear them, I quickly apologized to the dude sitting in front of me if my voice is ruining all of the videos he had taken with his camera phone. But to be honest, I didn’t care. I can’t remember the last time I sang out so freely and danced as if no one was looking. For those listening or looking, you’re welcome. Also, don’t steal my sweet moves.

I feel like the four luckiest people in the world, are the men who compile Sir Paul’s touring band. Yes, they are extremely talented, and add a nice freshness to these songs. Buuuuuut, they are touring with Paul McCartney! There are a lot of really talented musicians out there. They must love their jobs. And to their credit, they really are great. I’m sure there is a reason Paul has picked them, and played with them longer than any other touring band he’s had in the past.

Paul did a solid job of giving tribute to his fallen bandmates, John Lennon and George Harrison. He sang the songs “Here Today” , which is a song he wrote after John was killed. The song is in the form of a conversation that he wished he would have had with John before he died. If you haven’t heard it, go right now and listen. I’ll wait… Ok, pretty great right? Such a beautiful tribute. I can picture that conversation just by listening to that song. He gave tribute to George, by sharing with us that George was a really good ukulele player. And he began one of George’s biggest hits “Something” with just him and a ukulele. The band joined in to finish the song, and I’m sure George would have been proud of this version. It was a special moment in the show for sure. He paid two more tributes playing “My Valentine”, a new single off the latest album to his current wife Nancy Shevell, who was in attendance. Then he played “Maybe I’m Amazed” to his late wife Linda. It was as if he was letting us into his personal life, if only just a little bit.

Sir Paul has been performing for over 50 years. For some, this makes them less enjoyable to watch. Either there voice is shot at this point, or they are just going through the motions for a payday. But while Paul’s voice at times shows the wear of touring, he has complete control of his it, and it sounds at least 20 years younger than his age of 72. And going through the motions he is not. At least not in a way that we can tell. He’s still having fun. He made jokes to the crowd, told stories of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, and even tried to read some of the signs people had brought. He told us “I think we’re going to have a party tonight!”. I’m sure he says that wherever he goes. But it was true. Party we did. He said at the end “You see, I told you we’d have a party.” Again, he probably says that a lot. But he doesn’t do the typical throw in the name of the city in between every song for a cheap applause. He probably mentioned Salt Lake City or Utah three or four times at most. Paul McCartney does not need cheap applause.

Now I’ve seen a lot of Paul McCartney concert footage over the years. He mixes it up, yes, but there are a few highlights that I was eagerly anticipating. But when they happened in this show, they snuck up on me. The pinnacle of course being “Hey, Jude”. You guys, I have been dying to sing “Na Na Na Nana Na Na Hey, Jude!” for so long that when it came, it was almost like an out of body experience. The only reason I knew it was actually happening was how thrashed my throat felt when the song was over. The song went almost ten minutes, and the crowd never died down. It was amazing. Amazing isn’t even the right word. I don’t know if the right word exists. But, just, wow.

Paul finished the show with two strong encores, and if we thought he’d come back again, I know the crowd would have asked him back. I think the building could have been powered by the energy of that audience. We all knew we were part of a special moment in time.

This wasn’t a nostalgia show. Sure, we were taken back to whatever time it was when we first heard these songs, but it was more than that. When you go see Journey, or the “final” Motley Crue show, that’s for nostalgia. Going to see Paul McCartney is a history lesson. You go to tell people you saw the living member of the best songwriting duo in rock n roll history. You go to bridge the gap between the music your parents grew up on, and what your kids listen to now. You go to be part of a moment with 17,000 of your new friends.

I have struggled to put into words just how I felt at last nights concert. How do you describe a dream come true? How do you explain inspiration personified? He is just a man after all. But I believe he’s one of the good ones. You don’t have to love Sir Paul like I do. You don’t even have to be a Beatles fan. I think you’re nuts if you’re not, but I can accept that not everyone is going to feel the way I do. But there is no way to deny this man’s place and influence in music history.

As I returned home, I sat looking at my phone and watched the three songs I recorded. ( I hate doing it, but i just couldn’t help myself!! Damn you modern technology!) I sat reliving the moment I just experienced over and over. I slept very little because each time I’d start to doze off, I’d remember something I liked about the show and I’d get so pumped up it would be another hour before I got sleepy again. But, surprisingly I’m full of energy and basking in the glow of Beatlemania.
I think it’s pretty obvious by the perma-grin on my face that I would highly recommend this show. To anyone! It amazes me, after all the concerts I’ve been to in my life, and the amount of time I’ve waited to see this particular one, that it could still exceed my expectations the way it did. I can easily say, it was the greatest concert experience of my life. Thank you Sir Paul. Thank you so very much!

Setlist
Eight Days a Week (The Beatles song)
Save Us
All My Loving (The Beatles song)
Listen to What the Man Said (Wings song)
Let Me Roll It (Wings song) (with “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix snippet)
Paperback Writer (The Beatles song)
My Valentine
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five (Wings song)
The Long and Winding Road (The Beatles song)
Maybe I’m Amazed
I’ve Just Seen a Face (The Beatles song)
We Can Work It Out (The Beatles song)
Another Day
And I Love Her (The Beatles song)
Blackbird (The Beatles song)
Here Today
New
Queenie Eye
Lady Madonna (The Beatles song)
All Together Now (The Beatles song)
Lovely Rita (The Beatles song)
Everybody Out There
Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles song)
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (The Beatles song)
Something (The Beatles song)
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (The Beatles song)
Band on the Run (Wings song)
Back in the U.S.S.R. (The Beatles song)
Let It Be (The Beatles song)
Live and Let Die (Wings song)
Hey Jude (The Beatles song)

Encore:
Day Tripper (The Beatles song)
Hi, Hi, Hi (Wings song)
Get Back (The Beatles song)

Encore 2:
Yesterday (The Beatles song)
Helter Skelter (The Beatles song)
Golden Slumbers (The Beatles song)
Carry That Weight (The Beatles song)
The End (The Beatles song)

Sara Bareilles August 3, 2014 The Great Saltair Magna, Utah

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I was introduced to Sara Bareilles only a few years ago, when my sister and her husband went to see Sara at the Palladium in Los Angeles, CA. My sister being a huge fan, strongly encouraged (forced) her husband to go. But he like I imagine so many other men, came away very impressed. Sara has a huge female following and because of that, many men seem to feel like she is not for them. I think because she is such and honest songwriter, men may feel that because they are coming from a female’s perspective, they are not relatable songs. I’ll admit, I was of that belief as well. But when I spoke with my brother in law after that L.A. show, he came away very impressed. He came away a fan, and coming from a someone who is into Social Distortion, that says a lot to me. I thought, maybe I should give Ms. Bareilles a second chance. So I went to youtube and searched around, and came across Sara in concert singing a cover of Coldplay’s “Yellow”. Which is a song I very much like. If you haven’t heard this version, do yourself a favor and give it a listen. I know this sounds dramatic, but it honestly gave me chills to the point of almost getting emotional. Weird right? Well, maybe not. Sara Bareilles version of Yellow is simple, yet beautiful. So, after hearing that voice, I was hooked.

Now, fast forward to last night. Initially I was very surprised that this concert was not sold out. I easily walked up to the box office and bought a ticket just as the final opener was finishing her last song. Then I remembered that the concert was on a Sunday. With the large Latter Day Saint population in Utah, who generally speaking do not go out on Sunday, it was no surprise that the show was not sold out. I have no doubt that if this concert was held on Monday night, it would have been sold out months ago. With that being said, it’s not like there were 50 people there. I asked the box office what the attendance was, and they told me there were around 2,000 in attendance. The Saltair holds 3,500 so the place was plenty full.

The Great Saltair is an awesome place to see a concert. The whole place is general admission with a 21+balcony that wraps around the entire venue. Also, it’s so fun to see an artist in a more intimate venue. I love a good arena or stadium show, but give me a small venue anyday. Now, I’m not an expert on acoustics, but I have always loved the sound inside The Saltair. And tonight was no exception. Sara’s beautiful voice soared fantastically through those old wooden beams. Her band was mixed perfectly, and they were exceptional in every way.

Sara came out and the crowd was deafening. She opened with “Little Black Dress”, a song from her latest album and the name of this tour. She kept the energy rolling with songs like “I Wanna Be Like Me” and “Love Song”. She was also so great with audience interaction. She complimented the audience about their energy, saying she didn’t need to do anything, we were all ready to go. She made a joke that maybe it was the smell that was firing up the crowd. For those who have never been to The Great Saltair, it is right on the shore of the Great Salt Lake. And the sweet sulfury smell of the lake is as much a part of the show as the bass player. I like to use this amazing odor to gauge how the show is going. If it’s not a very good concert, that smell gets worse. And if the show is great, the smell becomes almost unnoticeable. Well about a third into the show, you could have sprayed perfume on me, or lake water, and I wouldn’t have even noticed. Sara was just that good.

She treated a good part of the show as if it was a VH-1 “Storytellers” episode. Telling us of her recent move from Los Angeles to New York, the heartache of ending a long term relationship, and how these songs were written in regards to those events, and at what time. I don’t think I have ever seen someone work an audience quite like Sara Bareilles. Her banter is as quick as a stand up comic being heckled. She really is hilarious. I was laughing really hard at times. She also has a way of putting you right there in that moment with her when she wrote that song. It takes a lot to visualize a song; To picture everything happening as if you were there. But she makes it so easy. There was a great part of the show where Sara performed alone with either her piano, or a guitar. I felt like I was in a living room with a few friends watching her perform for just us. It wasn’t until the song ended and the crowd was much louder than just a few friends, that I was brought back to where we were.

Sara debuted a new song that she has written for a Broadway Musical named “She Used to be Mine”. She is doing the music for a stage adaptation of the film “Waitress” starring Kerri Russel of “Felicity” fame. If the rest of the songs in this musical are anywhere near as good as this song, this musical will be a hit. Once again, we were taken from the concert stage, to the Broadway stage in our minds, and could visualize the staging of this show, just from how good this song was. I can’t wait to hear the rest.

Now as much as I love Sara’s cover of Coldplay’s “Yellow”, I was even more impressed with her cover of Sia’s “Chandelier”. I mean, wow! Her range is incredible. The girl performed just the night before in Denver. How is she hitting these notes on back to back nights? I was seriously blown away. The audience was excited to hear the cover, and then when she killed it, they were anxious to give Sara her due applause. People next to me were commenting on how amazed they were. One nice girl next to me said, “I never thought I could love a version more than the original. But I love this so much, I think I’ve changed my mind!”.

Sara concluded her main set with a string of her biggest hits. A song that is sure to be heard at wedding for years to come “I Choose You”. I try to never video songs while I’m at shows because I like to be in the moment. I might film a minute here and there, but I’d rather be in the present then watch it later on youtube. But for my faithful readers, I decided I would record this whole song, so that anyone who hasn’t seen Sara Bareilles live, would get an idea just how amazing she is. She followed this with a crowd favorite “King Of Anything”. I really like this song, but for a minute there, I felt like I was at a man haters convention. These drunk girls were singing the lyrics in my face as if I was their horrible ex boyfriend. It was pretty funny actually. But when things settled down, everyone was united in a great sing along. Sara finished this run with her now biggest hit, “Brave”. The audience was taken to a new high, and the volume of their singing almost eclipsed Sara’s voice at times. She finally just gave the crowd their moment to sing the chorus, and sing they did. PS-It’s really hard to sing at a concert where there are mostly women. I tried singing along, and I felt like my voice could be heard for at least 4 rows. So I let the ladies have their time and kept my singing to myself.

Sara came back with the three women in her band and did a four part harmony a capella version of “Bright Lights and Cityscapes”. To be able to quiet down a crowd of 2,000 people to sing a song a capella is not small task. But we shouldn’t be surprised to know that she did it. Sara did it. It was silent in there. The harmony’s were perfect, the song was beautiful, and it was a perfect moment for the once frenzied audience. She closed the show with “Satellite Call”, and then that was it. She was off. Ready to hit the road to entertain and inspire another anxiously awaiting audience.

I had seen Sara in concert once before this. But she was opening for another band. She sounded great, the crowd enjoyed her, but there is something to be said for when the show is your own. The setlist was as long as she wanted it to be. The lights were her lights. The staging was hers. It was her show, and she completely owned it. I love seeing artists in the prime of their career. The fans are still excited about “new stuff”. The music is fresh, and packs an impactful punch rather than reflections of nostalgia. This was Sara Bareilles live in the most perfect way.

Fan or not, man or woman, I cannot recommend seeing Sara in concert more. You won’t go home disappointed. It’s impossible. You’ll be impressed by her voice, you’ll convert to a fan of her seemingly “for women only” songs, and you’ll be guaranteed a hard laugh. What more do you need in a night?

Setlist
Little Black Dress
I Wanna Be Like Me
Love On The Rocks
Love Song
Hercules
Come Round Soon
Manhattan
She Used to Be Mine
Chandelier (Sia cover)
Gravity
Chasing The Sun
Uncharted
Eden
I Choose You
King Of Anything
Brave

Encore:
Bright Lights and Cityscapes
Satellite Call