Shows and concerts

[Empirejim]

I got you covered on that. My show is Saturday night but they say it might rain big time. And that is a bummer for sure.

[sarahfan4life]

Review of the first show

Talk about orchestral manoeuvres in the dark.

Sarah McLachlan, who went back to theatre shows last year with guests in tow after her female music festival Lilith Fair failed to make a solid comeback in 2010, is once again playing amphitheatres this summer, this time touring with orchestras.

In fact, the 44-year-old Vancouver-based singer-songwriter and mother of two - whose last studio album was 2010’s Laws Of Illusion - kicked off her North American symphonic tour on Friday night at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and members of Whitehorse - guitarist Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland (real life husband-and-wife), the latter who were also part of her Massey Hall show in 2011.

And after a ho-hum first half, the soaring-voiced McLachan - who alternated between playing piano and acoustic guitar or singing without an instrument - came out swinging in the second half with much more dramatic and dynamic interaction with the TSO who were hardly noticeable in the first 45-minute set.

McLachlan, dressed in a flowing white sleeveless top and silver pants, opened the evening with Building a Mystery.

And while hit after hit were there they didn’t seem fully realized until the opening set’s final two songs World On Fire and Rivers Of Love when the under-utilitzed orchestra, conducted by Sean O’ Loughlin, seemed to suddenly spring to life.

“I was a little nervous,” admitted McLachan in the first half. “I haven’t done some of these songs for a little while.”

The staging, meanwhile, was formal with tall lighting panels which lent itself to McLachlan’s melancholy and romantic pop sound.

But what really worked were the backup harmonies and playing provided by the sweet-sounding McClelland, often on acoustic guitar, and the electric-guitar toting Doucet.

After a 20 minute intermission, it was like a different show.

McLachlan opened the second set with just her four-piece band playing Good Enough and then generously handed over the spotlight to both McClelland and Doucet so they could take solo lead vocal turns on their own Brake and Broken One, respectively.

From that point the concert slowly ramped up to reach its full potential starting with Adia and Forgiveness, due in no small part to the interaction between McLachlan and the orchestra, and then turned a major corner with a slowed down, suitably “beautiful and dark” version of Sweet Surrender, and the vocally stunning duo of Fear and Possession, producing wave after wave of standing ovations. Before her encore trio of Bring On The Wonder, the ethereal Angel and finally Ice Cream, McLachlan even signed autographs at the front of the stage.

“I didn’t even get to pee,” she joked.

Maybe not, but she finally got the show to where it should have been all along.

SET LIST:

Building A Mystery

U Want Me 2

Answer

I Will Remember You

Loving You Is Easy

Fallen

Hold On

World on Fire

Rivers Of Love

INTERMISSION

Good Enough

Brake (Melissa McClelland)

Broken One (Luke Doucet)

Illusions of Bliss

Adia

Forgiveness

Sweet Surrender

Love Come

Fear

Possession

ENCORE:

Bring On The Wonder

Angel

Ice Cream

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/23/mc ... at-the-amp



i dying to hear Fear with the symphony!!!!

[hanzo]

thanks for posting that. i was really hoping to see FTE on the setlist . im looking forward to your review empirejiim, hope the rains not too bad. thanks

[wacky4alanis]

I'll be at the Vermont show Sunday evening I'm really looking forward to it!! The weather is supposed to be perfect.

[Empirejim]

The show came and gone and let me say this for a fact,Sarah is one beautiful woman up there in the lights. The night turned out to be a great one with beautiful blue skies and sitting in the fouth row was like being some fifteen feet from Sarah. She wore that same white top and silver pants and a natural glow to her face. She did start with Building a Mystery and the crowd reacted as I thought they would, with gustow. would that be the right word. We were, they were totally in her hands and she knew it and appreciated it also. The set list was pretty much the same as Toronto's I would say as I didn't write it down but let me say this, when she preformed Fear, the crowd went wild and she still has that amaging high pitch and brought the crowd to so many standing ovations that I lost count. Melissa was in great form and sang Break and Luke did a solo of his own too. It was good to see some of the old crowd with her on this tour. Vince Jones was also there on piano and organ. Good backup choir on a couple of songs and also good orchestra throughout the night. I did take pictures and have always had problems putting them up but they are here for now and isn't that the mystery in waiting for a show, to see her for yourself. As a conclusion, let me say this, your night is coming and believe me, you WILL enjoy it to the upmost. Sarah is back, Sarah is hot, and Sarah has that angel voice that we crave so much. Enjoy your time when it comes and we all want much more of Sarah again. Thanks for listening to me and have a good one.

[Karine]

The show came and gone and let me say this for a fact,Sarah is one beautiful woman up there in the lights. The night turned out to be a great one with beautiful blue skies and sitting in the fouth row was like being some fifteen feet from Sarah. She wore that same white top and silver pants and a natural glow to her face. She did start with Building a Mystery and the crowd reacted as I thought they would, with gustow. would that be the right word. We were, they were totally in her hands and she knew it and appreciated it also. The set list was pretty much the same as Toronto's I would say as I didn't write it down but let me say this, when she preformed Fear, the crowd went wild and she still has that amaging high pitch and brought the crowd to so many standing ovations that I lost count. Melissa was in great form and sang Break and Luke did a solo of his own too. It was good to see some of the old crowd with her on this tour. Vince Jones was also there on piano and organ. Good backup choir on a couple of songs and also good orchestra throughout the night. I did take pictures and have always had problems putting them up but they are here for now and isn't that the mystery in waiting for a show, to see her for yourself. As a conclusion, let me say this, your night is coming and believe me, you WILL enjoy it to the upmost. Sarah is back, Sarah is hot, and Sarah has that angel voice that we crave so much. Enjoy your time when it comes and we all want much more of Sarah again. Thanks for listening to me and have a good one.

About the concert in Laval: my sister said it was a very beautiful concert, except for the fact that some guys were saying "Cold beer! Bière froide!" during the show (to sell beer). It was annoying!
She was really impressed by Fear too and she made a few videos for me, so I could watch some of the songs. She told me her top 3 was: Sweet Surrender, Fear and Love Come. She also said that she really enjoy the orchestra during World on Fire, it was beautiful. I wish I was there!!
You can see some pictures here: http://www.quebecspot.com/2012/06/photo ... -de-laval/

[hanzo]

The show came and gone and let me say this for a fact,Sarah is one beautiful woman up there in the lights. The night turned out to be a great one with beautiful blue skies and sitting in the fouth row was like being some fifteen feet from Sarah. She wore that same white top and silver pants and a natural glow to her face. She did start with Building a Mystery and the crowd reacted as I thought they would, with gustow. would that be the right word. We were, they were totally in her hands and she knew it and appreciated it also. The set list was pretty much the same as Toronto's I would say as I didn't write it down but let me say this, when she preformed Fear, the crowd went wild and she still has that amaging high pitch and brought the crowd to so many standing ovations that I lost count. Melissa was in great form and sang Break and Luke did a solo of his own too. It was good to see some of the old crowd with her on this tour. Vince Jones was also there on piano and organ. Good backup choir on a couple of songs and also good orchestra throughout the night. I did take pictures and have always had problems putting them up but they are here for now and isn't that the mystery in waiting for a show, to see her for yourself. As a conclusion, let me say this, your night is coming and believe me, you WILL enjoy it to the upmost. Sarah is back, Sarah is hot, and Sarah has that angel voice that we crave so much. Enjoy your time when it comes and we all want much more of Sarah again. Thanks for listening to me and have a good one.

thanks for sharing, sounds like it was great show. i saw a youtube vid from last years show at hollywood bowl or something of sweet surrender on the piano, sounded great. cant wait. also thanks to karine for that link

[sarahfan4life]

some vids from the laval show

Fear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXVUcdl_FlI

BAM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K4fOiI1nT4

WOF
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kzph9vkmYE

UWM2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1ZkdEAyU8Y

Fallen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYZxm8783kQ

there's more posted.....

i think that in one of the best version of World on fire i ever heard live! nice to hear Fear again

[hanzo]

some vids from the laval show

Fear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXVUcdl_FlI

BAM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K4fOiI1nT4

WOF
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kzph9vkmYE

UWM2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1ZkdEAyU8Y

Fallen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYZxm8783kQ

there's more posted.....

i think that in one of the best version of World on fire i ever heard live! nice to hear Fear again

thanks so much, these are great!

[Debdixon]

I have remained unspoiled but I hope she plays Fear this Sunday in Atlantic City.

How long is the show? Mine is inside and starts at 7:30. Thanks.