- Field Day |
- Buildings Alive |
- Visions |
- CLGBT |
- Green Community |
- Fun & Free S#!T |
- Crossword |
- CL Space |
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Phoebe Snow: A nakedly honest show at Tampa Theatre
Posted by Eric Snider on Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 5:18 AM
It probably wasn't intentional, but Phoebe Snow's opening song at Tampa Theatre on Wednesday night, "Standing On Shaky Ground," was acutely autobiographical. She turned in a spirited, funky rendition of the tune, but the subtext was that Snow, in fact, is standing on shaky ground, and she's not doing anything to conceal it.
This coming Saturday, her daughter Valerie would've turned 33. But Valerie died of a sudden brain hemorrhage last March. This was Snow's only child, who was born severely brain-injured and never was able to speak. Two people were never more in love, and Snow has not hidden her pain and desperation.
Every one of her shows is a tribute to Valerie, and the singer talked extensively about her late daughter on stage, at times fighting back tears. (And sometimes the tears won. Snow at one point asked if anyone in the audience had a tissue, and three people rushed forward.)
That was the underpinning for the master vocalist's first Tampa Bay performance in many a year. While her four-piece band backed her ably, and Snow showed off extraordinary chops and feeling, there was never a sense of celebration about the night. Most every one of the ardent fans in the half-filled theater knew Snow's story, and they were rooting for her. But a sense of sadness hung over the proceedings, which was certainly poignant, but was also at times lugubrious.
Snow was quick with a quip, and told some funny stories, but never did it seem as if her heart was truly in the performance. Not that the audience minded. They hung on every note.
Snow has been taking classical vocal lessons for a dozen years, and her skills are extraordinary. Her range is umpteen octaves, but she didn't overdo it last night, was never too showy. That said, she did swoop up into the stratosphere a few times; she is, after all, an entertainer, and knows that a crowd needs pleasing.
Snow mixed originals like her signature hit "Poetry Man" with several cover tunes, the best of which was "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man." She also performed "A Little Piece of My Heart," and made me almost like a song that I would've gone out of my way to never hear again. It helped that her rendition was playful, and included several teasing snippets from random pop tunes.
It's rare that you see a performer who reveals herself completely to the audience like Phoebe Snow did last night. Those on hand were the better for it.
I interviewed Snow last week, and if you didn't catch it, I really feel it's worth reading. Check it out here.
Comments (6)
Showing 1-6 of 6
like
dislike
Hiya, nice day.. Your article is extremely impressive. I never considered that it was feasible to accomplish something like that until after I looked over your post. You certainly gave a great perception on exactly how this whole process works. I will make sure to return for more advice. Thanks
abercrombie london abercrombie abercrombie and fitch abercrombie uk abercrombie and fitchmall tiffany uk abercrombie Abercrombie outlet Abercrombie clothing ed hardy uk love kills slowly abercrombie outlet abercrombie clothing abercrombie and fitch uk abercrombie fitch uk Abercrombie & fitch uk abercrombie and fitchmall abercrombie and fitchmall abercrombie uk abercrombie and fitch uk Abercrombie & Fitch UK abercrombie fitch uk
We have been banned and have a considerable amount of money owed to us. http://www.anfworld.com/abercrombie-and-fitch-jeans.html http://www.anfworld.com/ruehl-no-925.html
DllErrorsFix.com offers DllErrorsFix Shareware. We currently provide software product, solutions, consulting services and technical support to individuals, businesses and non-profits so they can enjoy a better pc experience and protect sensitive information.DllErrorsFix is your complete one-stop resource for dll error fix and solutions.
