October 17, 2003 — RADIO station 106.7 LiteFM – it’s unspoken motto is sing softly but carry a big stick – delivered a lineup of heavy hitters at its annual fall blowout concert at Madison Square Garden’s Theater.
Rod Stewart headlined Wednesday’s musical variety show, supported by Simply Red, Seal and Sarah McLachlan.
While this quartet of artists may seem wildly divergent, in concert they complemented each other with their ability to take simple, often slow, moody melodies and extract emotional power from them.
Old-time Rod fans might have been disappointed that the ex-rocker is still experimenting with cabaret tunes and American standards. He’s good at it, but he seemed to have more fun singing “I’m in the Mood for Love” and “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” than the audience had listening.
But Stewart is a showman who knows when to say when, so he eventually left the great American songbook to offer his more familiar “Maggie May,” “Hot Legs” and “Forever Young.”
McLachlan, who’s probably more famous for inventing the estrogen-powered Lilith Fair than for her own very capable singing, performed solo, playing a very brief set gleaned from her catalogue and her new album, the first in six years.
McLachlan, allotted only four songs and performing first, while patrons were still locating their seats in the darkened hall, had to battle to create the mood. Eventually she did, with her very pretty song “Angel,” but it seemed slightly lost amid the distractions.
Simply Red was simply terrific. Lead singer and band mastermind Mick Hucknall opened the performance with what started as an unusual guitar ‘n’ voice solo version of the group’s debut hit, “Holding Back the Years,” that ultimately blossomed into the familiar full arrangement when the curtain behind the singer was raised to reveal his band.
Rather than emphasize the group’s just-released disc, “Home,” Hucknall played only a couple of songs from that record, “Sunrise” and his cover of “You Make Me Feel Brand New.” Both were fine and the audience loved them, but it was on the jazzy, funky rock song “Money’s Too Tight (to Mention)” that Hucknall and company hit their stride.
Seal is probably the most gifted and strongest vocalist in this lineup, but he seemed to hold back throughout his set. He did loosen up by the time he worked his Grammy-winning song “Kiss From a Rose,” but it was too little, too late.
courtesy New York Post