I was asked to start a new thread for this so here it is.
Concert Review: Emeli Sande
Venue: Café Du Nord, San Francisco
The Voice: Emeli Sande can SING. I swear she channels the soul of a southern Baptist soloist taking it to the church. Let there be no mistake, this girl’s voice grabs you by the throat and beats you into submission. You seriously cannot look away. I was close enough to her guitarist that I could have strummed the guitar for him, yet I never looked at him twice. I have not heard that much power and emotion in a voice since Adele. And there’s no getting around comparing the two. They both forego fireworks and crazy costumes and although Emeli can actually move to her fast songs, neither girl is going to pull a Beyonce on the dance front. Both girls are talented songwriters and both can sing the hell out of a song. Between the two Adele has the advantage of a singular voice (I am beating myself about the head for taking a word that Gwyneth Paltrow used first, but what the hell, it works). When I listen to Adele I don’t think of any other singer. Ever. It gives her a pass on having to compete with a hundred other singers vying for the same crowd of music fans. Emeli, even with that voice, is going to have to work harder.
The show: Simple, short and sweet. From the first line of the first song (Heaven) she killed it. She comes across as a kind, genuine girl with a powerhouse voice, on the edge of something very big. There is no way she has her head wrapped around it all yet.
Highlight: The back-story and performance of My Kind Of Love.
The Venue: This venue held a hundred people sold out and you were that close. When Emeli really got into a song, like My Kind Of Love, I had to lean back out of the way of her swinging arms. Picture a two-car garage. Now picture that garage a little bit bigger and you have the size of it. Café Du Nord is a noted club/bar from the Prohibition era and it feels like it in the best ways. The acoustics were great and the atmosphere inside the place actually elevated the show, if that’s possible.
The Crowd: Industry and fans that follow the UK music scene (since her album does not drop here in the states until June 5). Everybody was really cool and friendly with no pushing or vying for place up front (I didn’t have to pull out my don’t f*ing mess with me face, which never seems to work for me anyway
).
Breaking America: It’s either up or out. I hope her team is as savvy as Adele’s because it would be a shame to let this girl fade away. If rumors of opening for Coldplay in the states are correct, then they’ve made a great first move.
Concert Review: Emeli Sande
Venue: Café Du Nord, San Francisco
The Voice: Emeli Sande can SING. I swear she channels the soul of a southern Baptist soloist taking it to the church. Let there be no mistake, this girl’s voice grabs you by the throat and beats you into submission. You seriously cannot look away. I was close enough to her guitarist that I could have strummed the guitar for him, yet I never looked at him twice. I have not heard that much power and emotion in a voice since Adele. And there’s no getting around comparing the two. They both forego fireworks and crazy costumes and although Emeli can actually move to her fast songs, neither girl is going to pull a Beyonce on the dance front. Both girls are talented songwriters and both can sing the hell out of a song. Between the two Adele has the advantage of a singular voice (I am beating myself about the head for taking a word that Gwyneth Paltrow used first, but what the hell, it works). When I listen to Adele I don’t think of any other singer. Ever. It gives her a pass on having to compete with a hundred other singers vying for the same crowd of music fans. Emeli, even with that voice, is going to have to work harder.
The show: Simple, short and sweet. From the first line of the first song (Heaven) she killed it. She comes across as a kind, genuine girl with a powerhouse voice, on the edge of something very big. There is no way she has her head wrapped around it all yet.
Highlight: The back-story and performance of My Kind Of Love.
The Venue: This venue held a hundred people sold out and you were that close. When Emeli really got into a song, like My Kind Of Love, I had to lean back out of the way of her swinging arms. Picture a two-car garage. Now picture that garage a little bit bigger and you have the size of it. Café Du Nord is a noted club/bar from the Prohibition era and it feels like it in the best ways. The acoustics were great and the atmosphere inside the place actually elevated the show, if that’s possible.
The Crowd: Industry and fans that follow the UK music scene (since her album does not drop here in the states until June 5). Everybody was really cool and friendly with no pushing or vying for place up front (I didn’t have to pull out my don’t f*ing mess with me face, which never seems to work for me anyway
). Breaking America: It’s either up or out. I hope her team is as savvy as Adele’s because it would be a shame to let this girl fade away. If rumors of opening for Coldplay in the states are correct, then they’ve made a great first move.
I didn't think Emeli had that good a voice till I heard her Guardian acoustic of Next to me. GOD can she sing! 