Aug 2006: Along with the music there is also the Show. Undoubtedly, at the top of the ‘must see’ pile in the first half of 2006 were Prince and Tamar who came on in full color, full energy, and ready to put on a show for everyone. Prince himself did not take center stage but was savvy enough to let the girls do most of the showmanship. They danced and sang up a storm and I have not seen energy like that since Tina Turner in the 1970’s. Someone has been paying attention, and his name is Prince. Well his name today is Prince it might be something else tomorrow (sorry, couldn’t help that…) The word is performer and there is a world class difference between the musicians and singers that simply present and others who demonstrate, infuse and often play with the 'fourth wall' like it is putty. Prince is in this class and so, for myself, I decided that a Prince show would be the standard I set for the year. Maybe the next decade.
Most disappointing this year was Mary J. Blige who I suppose is on a come-back-around type of tour? Maybe she never left. I don’t know. She is a senior in the music game and should know better than to come in empty handed. It was not that she didn’t sing, she did. At time, belting it out like she knew why she was there. But, I think we all expect that of MJB. Other than that, there was no presence, no clue as to why this person had been so successful over her career. Her outfit looked like a designer handbag maker had run into Madonna along the way. Not sexy, not really anything. I am going to be a little harder on Mary J. She’s been around the block many times. Less of a presence I seldom see than on what I hope was just a bad day. Maybe Television shows are not her thing? Hard to judge, like I said. There were plenty of fans and a bigger audience you could not expect. Clearly, the audience was not there for this show but out of love for an artist who still has more to offer. Mary J. needs to focus. Not on her singing, but on her band and the people who adore her - the audience.
Carrie Underwood , American Idol winner of the 4th season and multi-award winning country singer. The girl from Muskogee, Oklahoma did her country thing and to say her backup band was minimalist is an understatement. A half dozen musicians who kept the music down so low you almost didn’t know they were there. I wanted a little more jolt from Carrie. She needs to learn how to do this in my opinion. From what I saw, this beautiful young woman needs to walk the stage a little more and acknowledge that most stages have 180 degrees of fans looking on. A wave of the hand to the left and right is mandatory. Carrie lost photo opportunities one after another, totally ignoring a flock of long lenses in a V.I.P. area along the front row. Some TV cameras were ignored also and I write this off to inexperience? A good singer she is and young enough to forgive for her lack of stage awareness. She should have a long career in Country if she wants. I still cannot pick out any single identifiable trait strong enough to ‘brand’ her forever in my mind.. You can see she is trying to expand her horizons and not just be some proud 'Okie from Muskogee'. This one will take time to mature. However, time does not stand still.
What did I learn by all of this ‘keen’ observation the first part of 2006? Some people were great show folks and others were pathetic. Not exactly a revelation, to see great and poor performers. Yet, I have a theory about what I saw this year and it probably will not change next year. Artists like Prince and the Dixie Chicks (see: Events - June 2006) who all can stand on their music alone, continue to be outspoken artists and treat their profession as if it is an art, both in content and presentation. Others like Carrie Underwood have been brought onto the stage as children of television land where the audience is somewhere on the other side of the camera and not down in front. Television can produce some of the worst performers I think. Lastly, I have seen the sad cliché of the comeback kids who always make you wonder why they are coming back. Is it the money? The love of the Show? The love of the audience? If it is the latter two, then they had better start showing it. The real audience is watching.
-GGP