Music Blog

(All photos: Liza Yeager)

I’m going to assume you’ve heard Adele sing.

This is a fair assumption, I think. Her debut album, 19, has been certified quadruple platinum in the UK, and her sophomore album, 21, is certified ten times platinum. Now you are saying, “that is not even a real thing that can possibly happen,” but I assure you that it is, and that Adele has done it.  She is also spent more time at the top of the UK charts than any other female artist, and recently tied a complicated record set by the Beatles (two top five hits on both the singles and albums chart at once).  And lest we set too much stock by UK charts, I should mention that 21 debuted at the top slot of the Billboard 200. Oh, and she won some Grammys. No big deal.

What I’m saying is, you probably know how talented and extraordinary she is. So rather than review her singing performance, I thought I could tell you a little bit about everything else.

                                                                                         

ADELE, SPEAKING: Equally, if not more, delightful than Adele singing. She told fun stories, including several about past boyfriends and one about a guy who had left his dog in the car during the show with the windows rolled up (“I wanted to find him and beat him up, but they wouldn’t let me.”) She also introduced every song with a quip; my favorite was, “This song is about a guy I really f**king hate” before launching into love ballad “One And Only." Her honest and talkative vibe made the concert feel like a slumber party with some killer karaoke.

 

ADELE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AUDIENCE: Excellent. She talked to people in the front row about Twitter (“It’s not me! It’s some bloke in an office!”) and responded to a “Marry Me!” sign with “yes, I’ll marry you, I’m single!”

 

ADELE'S LAUGH: Find a YouTube video of Adele laughing and watch it immediately. (This one will do).

 

ADELE’S ACCENT: See ADELE, LAUGHING.

 

ADELE'S SET: The stage transformed into a cozy living room with a lamp fetish. Adele sat in a cushy chair and drank out of a dauchund mug. It was wonderful.

 

 

ADELE’S REACTION TO SHOW: “This might be my best show ever. I’ve got a feeling” and later, “I can’t do festivals, I’m terrified of festivals, so thank you all for bringing the festival to me.” Let the record show that if Adele ever plays a festivals, it’s because of this performance.

 

Conclusion? Between the quips and the lampshades and the phenomenal singing, I am now quite determined to befriend Adele personally. She was modest, charming, and put on an altogether unforgettable performance. I have no complaints except for this one little non-Adele-related detail...

 

AUDIENCE: Seriously the worst audience I’ve ever experienced in my life. A few middle-aged women staked out the front row with lawn chairs and blankets and physically assaulted anyone who tried to get close, screeching, “We’ve been here since six in the morning!” Clearly, they had never been to a concert before, or they would  have known that creating a fortress of lawn chairs around you and screaming at other patrons during the concert for approaching the stage is not appropriate concert etiquette. I’m just saying. Don’t let that be you.

Tagged: live review