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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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Suzanne
Vega
House of Blues, Chicago, IL May 10, 2003 By Jon Singer The magic of Suzanne Vega is that her songs don't attack your ears. Instead, you have to actively listen to the intelligent and mysterious compositions. And what you hear is unique, because no one sounds like Suzanne Vega. Many of her late 1980s to early 1990s contemporaries (Edie Brickell, 10,000 Maniacs) are no longer active, let alone vital, while today's female singer-songwriters (Jewel, Sarah McLachlan) are much more flamboyant and polished. During her Chicago stop on a three-month tour, Suzanne Vega wasn't shy about plugging her new "best of" CD, Retrospective, and it was her fans who benefited. Vega played 17 of 21 "hits" from the CD, plus three extras. For Vega, of course, "hits" are lucky to attain even moderate airplay. The only exceptions, "Tom's Diner" and "Luka," are more than 15 years old. It mattered little, then, that Vega was so true to her new CD. Each person in the audience requested their favorite obscure song at the cozy House of Blues. The show began with the haunting "Tired of Sleeping" and slid into the jazzy "Caramel." As Vega breezed through her greatest hits, her sound and vocal delivery remained as distinct and crisp as her recordings. The minimalist 43-year-old sang and often strummed an acoustic guitar. She was backed by a electric guitar, drums and bass. In a long black overcoat and subtle green shirt, Vega toyed with the audience, even getting animated during "When Heroes Go Down" and "Blood Makes Noise." The best times, though, were when Vega's beautiful fingerpicking stopped time. "Gypsy," and "World Before Columbus" struck a nerve, as did "In Liverpool." Vega also obliged the aging crowd with several "VH1 Storytellers"-style song explanations. She shared that Tom's Diner still exists at 112th Street and Broadway in New York, "Marlene on the Wall" was a poster of Marlene Dietrich and "(I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May" is a rebuttal to the Rod Stewart classic. Vega also asked the crowd's permission to read a story from her book, The Passionate Eye. The story was a recollection of Vega and her friend Millie as children. Vega wrote the tale with the same mysterious detail as her songs, and read it with the same deliberate control. The story contained several humorous quips that reflected Vega's enjoyment of the evening. After an a cappella and audience-involving version of "Tom's Diner," Vega left the stage. She returned for the first of two encores, playing "Woman on the Tier (I'll See You Through)," from the "Dean Man Walking" soundtrack, and the upbeat "When Heroes Go Down." The second encore featured the sweet "World Before Columbus" and "Rosemary." To see Vega at such an intimate venue connected a human face to her sparse, calculated songs. It simplified the songs and made them even more personal for fans. Suzanne Vega is an anomaly. Because of her lack of pop hits, she already is overlooked by many pop music fans. As unjust as that may be, Vega is destined to be an artist that music fans rediscover 20 years from now and her timeless songs will still touch souls. Complete Set List
Encore 1:
Encore 2:
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