June 29, 2014

Publication title: Orange County Register, vol. -, Iss. -, pg. –
Place: Unknown
Writer: George Paul

McLachlan delivers a winning performance at the Greek

If Sarah McLachlan ever decides to take a break from music, she’d probably make a great radio host.

Whenever the veteran Canadian singer provided background for songs at the Greek Theatre on Saturday night, her soothing voice and worldview made it feel almost like an evening love advice program on some adult contemporary station.

That wasn’t a bad thing; the personal connection extended directly to fans. During a captivating 2 1/2-hour set (plus intermission), McLachlan invited small groups of randomly chosen audience members to join her onstage for short intervals, then took selfies with them and answered questions.

Keeping with the comfy vibe, the stage design was patterned after a living room, with couches, ottomans, rugs and hanging decorative bulbs.

Before show time and during the break, more queries were submitted by concertgoers. McLachlan pulled slips of paper from a hat and good-naturedly answered questions about everything from her underwear to her activities with her young daughters, her expertise at playing drums (the band’s timekeeper coaxed a demonstration; she actually wasn’t too shabby), her most embarrassing moments, her dream duet partner (early influence Peter Gabriel) and her sexual proclivities.

“Shine On,” McLachlan’s first new studio album in four years, came out last month and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. Lyrically, the solid collection is more open and direct than previous efforts, revolving around loss, hope and awakenings. The artist reconnected with longtime collaborator Pierre Marchand for it but also included a few uncharacteristically electric-guitar-centric tunes with producer Bob Rock (Aerosmith, The Cult). Former Eagles axman Don Felder even co-wrote one about parenthood.

All but two songs from “Shine On” were played. Yet they were woven seamlessly among enough popular selections off multiplatinum CDs “Surfacing” and “Afterglow” to satisfy longtime enthusiasts.

McLachlan stated that she was very proud of the new material, asked for fans’ indulgence and then said, “We’re going to start off loud and proud” (no doubt a subtle nod to her large LGBT fan base). The four-piece band opened with the driving, erotic “Flesh and Blood,” inspired by the singer’s relationship with retired Vancouver Canucks hockey player Geoff Courtnall.

Two big hits – “Building a Mystery” and “Adia” – were dispatched early and prompted crowd singalongs. The latter ballad segued into the calmer “Answer” and contained a sustained vocal note that prompted a wild reaction.

Moving easily from her trademark grand piano to acoustic and electric guitars on various songs, McLachlan explained that the new album was about gratitude before launching into a soaring “World on Fire.” With its use of syncopated keyboards, “Loving You Is Easy” was a welcome change of pace and ended up being a show highlight. The mildly aggressive “Monster,” about “people’s moral agendas,” was dedicated to “all the (jerks) out there.”

In the concert’s second half, a touching acoustic-based “Song for My Father” featured Curt Bisquera playing a single drum as the band was huddled close together. The similar-themed “I Will Remember You,” with McLachlan alone on piano, was quietly affecting. The musicians got a chance to expand during the organ-driven “Love Beside Me.”

Back on electric guitar for the haunting title track to 1993’s “Fumbling Toward Ecstasy,” McLachlan pulled out all the vocal stops; its simmering, programmed groove was another standout. That same album’s “Fear” featured stunning, near operatic intonations. Lead guitarist Joel Shearer’s squelching effects helped propel a strong “Sweet Surrender” and got a rousing response. The main set ended with a stunning delivery of “Possession.”

Come encore time, a guest female cellist was brought on to enrich the elegant “Beautiful Girl,” which offers a hopeful message for children (key lyric: “It will get better”), as well as the gorgeous solo piano ballad “Angel.”