Scissor Sisters (from left): Babydaddy, Paddy Boom, Jake Shears, Ana Matronic and Del Marquis. |
Christmas came early this year here at the ’Phile. Santa brought me a pair of delights: an amazing live concert from a living legend and a new DVD capturing the hands-down best queer band in the world rocking out in London.
To borrow the man’s own lyrics, Stevie Wonder knocks me off my feet. Based on the crowd response I witnessed at his Nov. 28 show at Charlotte Bobcats Arena, I have plenty of company in that regard.
To begin the goosebump-inducing show, the 57-year-old superstar was led onto the stage by his daughter, Aisha Morris. She’s one of the tour’s three backing vocalists and is featured prominently on Wonder’s last album, 2005’s “A Time To Love.” She’s also fondly remembered for her newborn cries that can be heard on the “Songs In The Key Of Life” track her birth inspired, “Isn’t She Lovely.”
Wonder started by explaining how his mother’s death last year made him question his desire to continue working — and how her memory has now forced him back on the road as a tribute. Amid roaring cheers, he and Morris moved to the piano where they dueted on a moving, spare rendition of “Love’s In Need Of Love Today.”
The full band then took the stage for a two-and-a-half-hour run through some of the greatest singles in pop music history, including “Superstition,” “Higher Ground,” “Living For The City,” “Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” “Ribbon In The Sky” “My Cherie Amour,” “Do I Do” and about a dozen more.
Best of all, seven of the nine tracks that appear on my favorite Wonder album, 1973’s “Innervisions,” were performed. Walking out of the venue into the crisp holiday air, I found myself in full agreement with Frank Capra’s Christmas classic — it’s a Wonder-full life!
Glam pop-rock fivesome Scissor Sisters have no challengers in the competition to be the world’s best, out-est, campiest and coolest band. Their new concert DVD “Hurrah: A Year Of Ta-Dah” is proof of that.
The DVD was recorded live this past summer at London’s O2 Arena. The show was the final stop on the band’s world tour, mounted to support their second album, “Ta-Dah.” The Sisters pull out all the stops, even debuting a stage that’s a giant version of their scissorlegs logo.
Lead singer/exhibitionist Jake Shears — who possesses a great pop voice and has a penchant for disrobing on-stage — is the focal point, but all the band members bring their (g)”A”(y) game. Fan favorites like “Laura,” “Take Your Mama,” “Filthy/Gorgeous” and “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” raise the roof.
DVD extras include an in-depth documentary that follows the tour across Europe. One unbelievable segment finds the band performing on a TV variety show where the entire studio audience is in traditional Christmas blackface. Also included are the music videos that accompanied the singles from “Ta-Dah.”
Bottom line: “Hurrah: A Year Of Ta-Dah” is the perfect holiday gift for queer boys and girls who love their music served with a heaping side dish of fabulous!
The Grammy goes to…
The nominations for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards are out. Here are the finalists in the Big Four categories. Winners will be revealed during a live broadcast on CBS Television, Feb. 10, 2008.
“Irreplaceable,” Beyoncé
“Umbrella,” Rihanna ft. Jay-Z
“What Goes Around…Comes Around,” Justin Timberlake
“Rehab,” Amy Winehouse
Album Of The Year
“These Days,” Vince Gill
“River: The Joni Letters,” Herbie Hancock
“Graduation,” Kanye West
“Back To Black,” Amy Winehouse
Song Of The Year
(A songwriters award; Artist names appear in parentheses)
“Hey There Delilah,” Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s)
“Like A Star,” Corinne Bailey Rae (Corinne Bailey Rae)
“Rehab,” Amy Winehouse (Amy Winehouse)
“Umbrella,” Shawn Carter, Kuk Harrell, Terius “Dream” Nash & Christopher Stewart (Rihanna ft. Jay-Z)
Feist
Ledisi
Paramore
Taylor Swift
Amy Winehouse
audiophile@q-notes.com |
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