September 29, 2012
Fiona Apple kicked off her show in Clearwater, Florida, Saturday night by addressing Perez Hilton, TMZ, and the tabloids at large.
Honesty and authenticity. Watch:
Note: the recording begins as the fan Fiona invited to record the video is walking to the stage. Fiona’s words to the tabloids kick in at approx 1 minute, 25 seconds
If you were in L.A. tonight and you weren’t at this show, consider seeking professional attention.
Dave Stewart and friends, Orianthi, Colbie Caillat, Delta Goodrem, John Mayer, and Dave’s 12-year old daughter, Kaya, played a show that was whole-heartedly in the spirit of rock & roll.
Thomas Lindsey kicked off the night with tremendous courage, backed by his exceptional talent. The crowd at The Troubadour was living Friday night like they earned it – cocktails flowing, conversations buzzing – the room was charged. . . and loud. With no introduction, Thomas Lindsey took the stage, looked around, and began to sing. No instruments. No band. It took Lindsey precisely 17 seconds to silence and command the attention of everyone in the room.
Given Stewart’s talent and true genius, his shows are something that need to be experienced first-hand. He takes music, rock & roll, community, collaboration, and style to new heights. If you pay attention to the subtleties, you’ll also discover his quick and poignant sense of humor. Something about Stewart – everything about Stewart – will make you feel more alive, infinite, and connected. He reminds you that rock & roll is meant to be fun, celebratory, and invigorating.
As is the case with Stewart, Stewart’s 12-year old daughter, Kaya, is a talent you need to see for yourself. She will blow you away, period. Kaya raises the bar. The music business should be afraid.
Stewart was joined on stage by a great group of exceptionally talented friends. Among my favorites – and I’ve seen her before – is Orianthi. If you don’t know who she is, look her up. If you haven’t seen her perform, prioritize it on your to-do list. She’ll simultaneously kick your ass and melt your heart, simply in the way she plays. Then, after a couple hours of giving everything she has to live music, she comes off stage and gives everything she has to fans, signing autographs, posing for pictures, and having in-depth, meaningful conversations. If you didn’t know better, you’d think everyone Orianthi met in the crowd for the first time was actually a long-time, dear friend. Again, she’ll kick your ass and melt your heart.
You had to be there. I was there and came home so amped up I couldn’t sleep. Time for coffee.
Here are some pictures:
Thomas Lindsey silenced the entire room, using nothing other than his voice
Dave and 12-year old daughter, Kaya
Orianthi
Colbie Caillat
Delta Goodrem
John Mayer
Time for another ticket giveaway at one of my favorite venues, The Greek Theatre!
Metric‘s live shows are consistently phenomenal. I’m so excited to be giving away a pair of tickets to see them at The Greek Theatre! I saw Metric’s secret show earlier this year and the new songs are as wonderful live as your old favorites.
One lucky Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend reader will win a pair of tickets to see Metric at The Greek Theatre LA on Tuesday October 9. Here’s what you need to know to enter:
About Metric:
Metric (photo by: Justin Broadbent)
Metric is currently on tour in support of their fifth studio album, Synthetica. For every ticket purchased a download of their first single, “Youth Without Youth” will be delivered to fans as well as a digital copy of Synthetica and 5 Synthetica Reflections tracks.
The new album follows on the 2009 self-release of Fantasies, which debuted Top 10 worldwide on iTunes Rock Albums charts and made Metric the first band to achieve its first Top 20 hit at U.S. commercial radio on a self-release. In addition to playing packed houses the world over in support of Fantasies, Metric picked up JUNO Awards for “Alternative Album of the Year” and “Band of the Year,” contributed the lead single to the Scott Pilgrim vs The World soundtrack, and landed on the Academy Awards’ short list for Twilight‘s “All Yours,” which they co-wrote with composer Howard Shore. They have since partnered up with Howard Shore on another project: The score to David Cronenberg’s latest film Cosmopolis, which was composed by Shore and performed by Metric.
Lead single “Youth Without Youth” was released digitally throughout North America on May 1st, tackling the topic of a fraying social state with bristling energy, lyrical complexity and driving rhythm. Strong beats and futuristic, yet organic sounds propel Synthetica from the pulsating, grimy throb of lead track “Artificial Nocturne” through the infectious singalong of “Speed The Collapse,” gut-wrenching meditation “Dreams So Real”, and hypnotic morality twister and album closer, “Nothing But Time.” In all, fans can expect a typically unforgettable night full of highlights from both previous Metric releases and the powerful, catchy, and lyrically captivating new Synthetica.
About The Greek Theatre:
For “official” information about The Greek Theatre, you can check out their website, but here’s my take: The Greek Theatre is one of my all-time favorite music venues. Start to finish, The Greek Theatre is an EXPERIENCE! You can get there early, picnic, and drink wine. If you don’t mind a walk, you can park on Vermont and enjoy the walk to and from the venue. If you’re reading Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend, chances are you’re not the type to leave the show early, so you can take the easy route and commit to the stacked parking option. The venue is beautiful, outdoors, surrounded by trees. The sound is impeccable. I’ve seen some of my favorite shows at The Greek and I’m very excited to share these opportunities with you.
What Now?
Well, if you haven’t already done so, ENTER TO WIN TICKETS NOW.
For more info about this show or Greek Theatre, click here.
To buy tickets to this show, click here.
If you have questions or comments, please leave them for me below.
Thank you!
Colette
September 15, 2012
The Joint, Las Vegas
Fiona Apple: She’s one of the most gifted, talented, exceptional musicians I’ve been so fortunate to experience. Absolutely extraordinary. Always.
I’ve heard some people say, “Fiona Apple goes crazy on stage!” I wouldn’t call it crazy; I’d call it entranced. Apple is completely overcome by the music when she performs. The reason it may feel “crazy” is that people are not accustomed to experiencing that. In fact, much of the time, society requests we “keep it down,” hold it in, smile when we want to cry.
Seeing Fiona Apple live broadens my perspective each time. Not only is every show different, every moment is different. Her shows are real and alive, unpredictable by nature, and dependable in quality. They transform, evolve, and shape-shift around you.
There’s a set list, but you can go to every show and you won’t hear Apple do a song the same way twice. It’s the rawness, the realness, the aliveness that fans connect with.
The show envelops you. It’s as if you’ve arrived at a civilized dinner party, but when you raise your hand to knock, you realize the door is wide open. Welcome. There aren’t any elaborate light shows or over-the-top sets. What’s before you during a Fiona Apple show is: music.
Apple has a way of spontaneously moving notes through her vocal range, making them sound so perfect, it’s as if that’s how the song was always intended. I don’t imagine “always” is a concept Apple is too attached to. The songs are sung as they are intended, moment by moment.
Seemingly aware that their voices would likely not match Apple’s, there was only one crowd singalong, fan-initiated: “Happy Birthday”. Apple’s birthday was the night prior to her show at The Greek. The audience’s appreciation for and celebration of Fiona Apple’s life was felt as authentically as the show itself.
It was an abnormally warm summer night, even by LA’s standards. At times Apple would grab a fistful of ice. As she sang, water poured through her hands, along with the songs.
Fiona Apple fans have grown accustomed to waiting long periods of time between album releases and tours. It’s not their preference, but fans “get it”. It’s easy to imagine executives at the record label each time Apple delivers a new album, wearily gazing at one another, shoulders shrugged, as if to say “What are we supposed to do with this?! This doesn’t fit our model.”
That’s precisely why it works. There is nobody like Fiona Apple.
