Joan Armatrading (6/16/07)



I have lauded Joan Armatrading before on this blog (here) so I'll spare you some of the outpouring of my love for her. But there is no doubt that she's one of the seminal female singer/songwriters in music history, and for good reason. I saw her once, several years ago at Cain Park, shortly after I was just getting into her music. It makes me kind of sad because it was the perfect situation to see her... a small dedicated crowd, a great outside venue, and she was touring an an amazing album.

She has since released her Into the Blues album, which as I've said before, isn't one of my favorite genres. Still it's Joan. The closest she's come to Ohio on her tour was Chicago and I wasn't going to miss this opportunity to see her again. We booked a hotel room and went out with fellow-fans, John & Bill.

Of course the downside of all this was that she was performing at the Chicago House of Blues (blech). At first I thought maybe the Chicago experience there would be better than Cleveland's, but it wasn't. However we had dinner there before the show and it was surprisingly GREAT. We were able to do the "Jump the line" thingy, where you get in early by eating there. Great idea in theory, but not in practice. We were in the venue by 7:30 and EVERY single stool and place to sit was taped with a reserve sign.... meaning that we would end up standing until the show ended at nearly midnight.

Opening was Heather Horton. Armed with an electric violin and a bare midrif, I had some hope. However her music had much to be desired, as did her personality. She was overly gracious to the point of being obnoxious. Though she did redeem with her final song being a cover of Loretta Lynn and Jack White's "Portland Oregon."

Joan took the stage around 10:15 and the crowd erupted. I was very excited to see a crowd so over-the-top excited to see her... A nice change from the small crowd at Cain Park. She had a magical smile and took it all in. She had a great interaction with the crown, very witty, and kept the drunks in their place (as HOB is known for). She played a lot of stuff from the new album. Her band was amazing and she truly "rocked out" on some tracks - but all while making it look effortless. She also covered some of her older songs, such as Walk Under Ladders, Show Some Emotion, and the crowd favorite - Willow. I didn't even know that it was a audience-participation song, but the several verses that the audience sang, gave me chills.

Earlier in the night, I noticed she would be signing CD's back by the Coat Check. I instantly planned to be back asap, so I didn't have to make my friends wait any longer than they had to... but I wasn't going to miss this chance. As the encore finished, D helped by holding the first spot in line until I got back there. I only had to wait (still standing) for another 20 minutes or so until she walked back. There I was, tired, a little drunk, and completely excited to meet her. I'm sure I looked the sight. I rehearsed what I was going to say to her, but blurted out something stupid while she signed my CD. Then it was over... but I don't think I stopped smiling all night.

Posted: Fri - June 22, 2007 at 01:29 PM           |

©