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« on: November 07, 2004, 02:06:36 pm »
Friday, November 5, 2004
Savannah, GA
8:00 - Trustees Theater
attendance ~900
Setlist:
Papa
San Francisco
Ordinary Day
Who's To Say
Swindler
White Houses
Afterglow
Morning Sting
Cest' La Vie
Wanted
She Floats
Annie
Rinse
Half a Week Before the Winter
A Thousand Miles
-----
Twilight
Vanessa showed what a great performer and talented pianist she is on Friday at the Trustees theater. This was her “living room” tour with just her and no band, but she carried the show perfectly. As with most previous shows, she dressed up for the occasion in her white dress.
Vanessa showed off all her skills – she is more than just a great piano player – and she IS really great, it's not smoke and mirrors, it's talent and hard work. She can also sing like crazy – I guess Wanted jumped out at me as the best example but in other songs, too. And just the way she carries herself and the attitude and composure she has on stage is worthy of admiration – put it all together and you have a great performance.
The show seemed to be pretty typical of the previous shows I had read about. Vanessa began each song with a short introduction. She would play a little something on the piano while she collected her thoughts and then give a little intro to the song in the form of a story. She said it was like VH1 storytellers in that respect. Nothing really groundbreaking as the stories were mostly the same as previous shows.
Ordinary Day was introduced as the only song she ever wrote in one sitting and had the lyric change to “divide and conquer this land” that is becoming standard.
Vanessa was surprised that MTV had censored the song White Houses, since they're always on there shaking their booty, so it's kind of hypocritical. Come on already, the song isn't only about sex, just mostly about sex.
Afterglow is a song that isn't about sex, but it is called afterglow.
Cest' La Vie was the one song played on that other keyboard, not the grand piano. The spotlight followed her over there, which Vanessa said was “all high-tech.” She had to be careful not to push any buttons other than the keys, or the Star Spangled Banner might start playing, which would have been embarrassing.
Annie was introduced as a song about a sick girl named Victoria who had leukemia but is now doing better. Victoria didn't work too well lyrically though, hence the name change – Victoria is ok with it though.
Before Rinse, Vanessa mentioned that women have a little switch that can cause them to go psycho and start stalking a man. Unfortunately, the friend who the song is about has recently had some more relationship troubles and the switch had been flipped.
Wanted had the story about the guy who wasn't interested in Vanessa until he saw her play the piano and then was too stupid to figure out the song was about him..
I forget when, but at one point Vanessa alluded to Ashlee Simpson and made some joke about lip-syncing.
I think Vanessa is about as tired of playing A Thousand Miles as I am of hearing it. She introduced it by saying that she would probably be playing it the rest of her goddamn life.
Twilight was a great end to the show – my favorite for a closing song, don't like the Be Not Nobody version though.
The opening act was Christopher Jak, who gave a worthy performance – he was also out there all alone with no band – just him and his acoustic guitar. Reminiscent of John Mayer, I suppose – he played well, but I'm not sure I heard anything that would be commercially successful.
The show had more of a piano recital flavor to it than the rock show flavor of the last tour in 2002. It was different, and there is a certain feeling when the whole band comes out and starts into Unsung that is pretty wild, and some people may miss the more rocked-out approach, but I'm not one of them. I loved hearing the new music, and can't wait to get the new cd for real on Tuesday. (This was my first time hearing most of the songs since I've been in a voluntary new album blackout – it was worth the wait).
-brian
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