MapQuest told me that the drive from Boston,
Massachusetts, to Red Bank, New Jersey, would take 4 hours and 41 minutes. Since
I knew I was going to have to go over, under, around or through New York City
on a Friday afternoon, I decided to allow quite a bit more time than that. It’s
a good thing that I did.
I left Boston at 9:30 AM, hoping to arrive in Red Bank by 3:30 PM, which would give me time to rest before heading over to the Dublin House Restaurant at 5:30 PM. Even the 6 hours I allowed was not enough. The trip took nearly 8 hours. I arrived at my hotel - the Molly Pitcher Inn – at 5:15 PM, which gave me just enough time to change clothes and hoof it over to the restaurant.
I did not attend the fan gathering at the Dublin House Restaurant before the concert, so I can’t tell you who was there. Rather, I met an old friend (actually, my ex-brother-in-law, but that’s another story) whom I hadn’t seen in 15 or 20 years. We learned almost by accident that we were both going to the concert. He and his wife live near Red Bank, and this was their second Jackie Evancho concert. They were at Jackie’s concert at the NJPAC in Newark about two years ago.
After the concert, I did meet up with some of the fans from the Facebook fan group I belong to. In attendance were Len Rausch, Jim Wood, Sean Daley, Jack Babbert, Ross Silver, Mike Ferguson, Curt Rosevair, and myself.
I left Boston at 9:30 AM, hoping to arrive in Red Bank by 3:30 PM, which would give me time to rest before heading over to the Dublin House Restaurant at 5:30 PM. Even the 6 hours I allowed was not enough. The trip took nearly 8 hours. I arrived at my hotel - the Molly Pitcher Inn – at 5:15 PM, which gave me just enough time to change clothes and hoof it over to the restaurant.
I did not attend the fan gathering at the Dublin House Restaurant before the concert, so I can’t tell you who was there. Rather, I met an old friend (actually, my ex-brother-in-law, but that’s another story) whom I hadn’t seen in 15 or 20 years. We learned almost by accident that we were both going to the concert. He and his wife live near Red Bank, and this was their second Jackie Evancho concert. They were at Jackie’s concert at the NJPAC in Newark about two years ago.
After the concert, I did meet up with some of the fans from the Facebook fan group I belong to. In attendance were Len Rausch, Jim Wood, Sean Daley, Jack Babbert, Ross Silver, Mike Ferguson, Curt Rosevair, and myself.
So, enough for the preliminaries. Time
to talk about the concert – The set list was the same as other recent concerts
(See Ft. Lauderdale, for example):
First
Set:
Take
Me There
Made
to Dream
Memories
The
Music of the Night
The
Impossible Dream
Your
Love
Je t’aime
Wishing
You Were Somehow Here Again
Intermission
Second Set:
Lovers
Ave Maria
With
You or Without You
My
Immortal
Vocalise
Ombra Mai Fu
Think
of Me
Encore:
The
Lord’s Prayer
Jackie took a short break during
each half of the concert while her music director Peter Kiesewalter and the
orchestra played a piece. During her
first break, they played one of the entr’acte
pieces from the Opera Carmen. During
the second break, they played a very unusual arrangement of Nessun Dorma. By the way, Peter lives in
New York City, but like David Foster, he originally hails from Canada – Ottawa,
to be exact.
The most intensive “buzz” of the evening had to do with Jackie’s hair. Parts of it, or perhaps extensions, were multi-colored – pale green, lavender, and turquoise, as best I could tell. Most of the coloring was on the “inside” of her hair, and along the front edges. The colors were muted – not bright - so the effect was subtle, but still very noticeable. I liked it – it made an interesting contrast with Jackie’s fancy gowns and serious singing style - it served as a fun reminder that Jackie is only 15 years old. I heard mixed reviews from other audience members, but most people seemed willing to accept it simply as something fun for Jackie to do.
The most intensive “buzz” of the evening had to do with Jackie’s hair. Parts of it, or perhaps extensions, were multi-colored – pale green, lavender, and turquoise, as best I could tell. Most of the coloring was on the “inside” of her hair, and along the front edges. The colors were muted – not bright - so the effect was subtle, but still very noticeable. I liked it – it made an interesting contrast with Jackie’s fancy gowns and serious singing style - it served as a fun reminder that Jackie is only 15 years old. I heard mixed reviews from other audience members, but most people seemed willing to accept it simply as something fun for Jackie to do.
A quick word about gowns. For the first half of the
concert, she wore the blue dress she has been wearing lately – I think it’s the
same dress she wore for her guest appearance on America’s Got Talent – just
without the “light show.”
For the second half of the show, she did not wear the red dress she has been wearing lately. Rather, she wore the fancy beige-colored long fitted gown that she wore for the taping of the “Awakening” PBS special. It was the second gown she wore that night – the one she wore for the duet of “Say Something” with Cheyenne Jackson. Like many of the gowns that Jackie has worn over the last four years, photographs or even the live videos do not do this gown justice. You have to see it in person to appreciate the full effect. The “sparkle-y” cross-hatch design (made with rhinestones I presume) was absolutely bedazzling!
As for the songs, well, Jackie never disappoints, and Friday night was no exception. She delivered a very strong performance. I had been to five previous concerts, but the most recent one was almost a year and a half ago, in Worcester, Massachusetts. What struck me the most about Friday night’s performance – the defining element of the evening for me – was “power.” There was nothing timid or hesitant about her delivery.
For the second half of the show, she did not wear the red dress she has been wearing lately. Rather, she wore the fancy beige-colored long fitted gown that she wore for the taping of the “Awakening” PBS special. It was the second gown she wore that night – the one she wore for the duet of “Say Something” with Cheyenne Jackson. Like many of the gowns that Jackie has worn over the last four years, photographs or even the live videos do not do this gown justice. You have to see it in person to appreciate the full effect. The “sparkle-y” cross-hatch design (made with rhinestones I presume) was absolutely bedazzling!
As for the songs, well, Jackie never disappoints, and Friday night was no exception. She delivered a very strong performance. I had been to five previous concerts, but the most recent one was almost a year and a half ago, in Worcester, Massachusetts. What struck me the most about Friday night’s performance – the defining element of the evening for me – was “power.” There was nothing timid or hesitant about her delivery.
But by “power” I’m not referring to sound volume –
that is, I don’t mean that she just shouted out each song as loud as she could–
I’m referring to her command of the songs and the control she has over her
voice. For a song like “Memories,” for example, where she uses a lot of head movements
and vocal energy to help create the emotional impact of the song, she didn’t
hold anything back. On the other hand, even for a song like “Wishing You Were
Somehow Here Again,” which requires a much more subtle treatment, with delicate
nuances, her voice was still confident and clear as a bell.
I’m not going to comment on each song individually, but I do want to say that I was glad that Jackie is still performing songs from her earlier CD’s, especially “Lovers,” and “The Impossible Dream.” They are my two favorite sings from her “Dream With Me” repertoire, and I think they were audience favorites as well.
Speaking of “Lovers,” I have consistently been of the opinion that her live performances of this song since Sarasota have never lived up to the standard she set at that concert. Until now. Her performance of “Lovers” Friday night was every bit as good as Sarasota. Maybe not better, but every bit as good. The final high note in the last line of the song (“Your voice still echoes in my heart”) literally took my breath away. I had to hold my hand over my mouth to keep from gasping out loud. It was pure, clear, steady and right on pitch – it was magical.
“Your Love” and “Je t’aime” were as gorgeous as ever, bringing tears to many an eye in the audience (including my own, I will admit). It’s almost not fair for Jackie to sing these two songs together. They pack a real “one-two punch,” She sets us up with “Your Love,” then finishes us off with “Je t’aime.”
A word about “My Immortal”: Jackie played the first part of the song on the piano, as she did in Longwood Gardens, and as she has been doing in subsequent concerts. She asked for the audience’s indulgence, because she recognizes that she is still a beginner on the piano, but I have to say that her playing has improved dramatically over the last 6-8 months. I hope she keeps practicing and playing. If she ever gets to the point where she could express her emotions through the keyboard as well as she can using her voice, we, her fans, and the rest of the world of music, will be in for a rare treat.
I’m not going to comment on each song individually, but I do want to say that I was glad that Jackie is still performing songs from her earlier CD’s, especially “Lovers,” and “The Impossible Dream.” They are my two favorite sings from her “Dream With Me” repertoire, and I think they were audience favorites as well.
Speaking of “Lovers,” I have consistently been of the opinion that her live performances of this song since Sarasota have never lived up to the standard she set at that concert. Until now. Her performance of “Lovers” Friday night was every bit as good as Sarasota. Maybe not better, but every bit as good. The final high note in the last line of the song (“Your voice still echoes in my heart”) literally took my breath away. I had to hold my hand over my mouth to keep from gasping out loud. It was pure, clear, steady and right on pitch – it was magical.
“Your Love” and “Je t’aime” were as gorgeous as ever, bringing tears to many an eye in the audience (including my own, I will admit). It’s almost not fair for Jackie to sing these two songs together. They pack a real “one-two punch,” She sets us up with “Your Love,” then finishes us off with “Je t’aime.”
A word about “My Immortal”: Jackie played the first part of the song on the piano, as she did in Longwood Gardens, and as she has been doing in subsequent concerts. She asked for the audience’s indulgence, because she recognizes that she is still a beginner on the piano, but I have to say that her playing has improved dramatically over the last 6-8 months. I hope she keeps practicing and playing. If she ever gets to the point where she could express her emotions through the keyboard as well as she can using her voice, we, her fans, and the rest of the world of music, will be in for a rare treat.
Regarding her encore – “The Lord’s
Prayer” – I love this song and I think it’s great that she has been singing it
in virtually every one of her concerts, but I thought it worked better when she
sang it at the close of the first set. By the end of the show, the audience is
very “wound up” – people are on their feet, clapping and cheering, with some
shouting “We love you, Jackie.” I, for one, was in the mood for a more upbeat
song. I found it difficult to settle back down and really appreciate “The
Lord’s Prayer.” I think she should move it to a different place on her set
lists. In my opinion, “With You or Without You” would make a better encore - or
she could finish up with a surprise cover of a “pop” song.
If I were in charge of the set list, I would also replace “Vocalise” with something more mainstream – maybe “Vincent (Starry, Starry Night).” “Vocalise” does showcase Jackie’s voice nicely, but given that it has no lyrics, I don’t find it very interesting.
All in all, I enjoyed the concert immensely. Next
month, I will be at the concert in Norfolk with my daughter (age 28). She has
seen the DVD’s, but this will be her first live Jackie Evancho concert. Maybe
I’ll ask her to write a review!
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