Through a bout of fortuitous link-clinking on Twitter two weeks ago, I found myself on Adele's official website and discovered the chance to enter my name for a free screening of her performance at Royal Albert Hall. The concert took place a few months ago but a DVD of the performance is being released on November 29th, so a series of screenings were arranged in different cities across the world. Crossing my fingers, I put my name in, and hey presto! was contacted 48 hours later to let me know that I could show up at the Angelika Cinema on the 16th and catch the show.
Now going to a movie theater to watch a DVD of a concert seems like an odd arrangement (one that certainly confused my friend Lucy who was my +1 for the screening) but come on. It's Adele. If I can spend hours watching her sing songs on Youtube, I can certainly traipse down to the Angelika to watch her on the big screen with speakers blaring that big beautiful voice at me from all sides. And sure enough, this screening did not disappoint.
The concert is a 90-minute masterpiece that shows you just how many amazing songs she has in her repertoire despite only having two albums out. Quite frankly I'd be hard pressed to name a single song on either of her albums that is not superb, and this concert features only the most superlative songs of the bunch along with some truly inspired covers. The concert opens with "Hometown Glory," one of my especial favorites, and from that opening piano melody and luscious verse onward, I was transfixed. The songs keep on coming, the sad ones, the happy ones, ones requiring multiple violinists or a banjo player, other requiring just the sublime piano accompaniment from Miles Robertson. Throughout Adele's voice is in fine album-quality form, delivering the goods almost effortlessly. But what makes this concert truly enjoyable is what goes on in between the songs.
Adele is a charming, warm lady, who wants the cavernous Royal Albert Hall to feel like an intimate gathering among friends, so she tells stories (with some merrily R-rated language), introduces her best friends, gives us the background on many of the songs on her album, and basically lays her life bare. The most telling part is when she mentions that she is now friends with her ex, the infamous cause of the break-up that resulted in the mesmerizing songs on her latest album, 21. Some members of the audience boo at this news, and Adele laughs and chides them, saying that she thinks it's good that they've made up and can share the success of the album that was born out of their miserable relationship. She is quick to note that although the album portrays her as the hapless victim, she gave as good as she got and was equally to blame for the relationship's demise. The whole concert is filled with moments like this, serious discussions of her personal life, combined with hilarious anecdotes and the famous Adele cackle. Hearing her talk is such a different experience from hearing her sing, but it only makes you appreciate her as an artist even more. She is clearly invested in every one of these songs and their personal connection to her is what makes them soar.
This is a DVD that any Adele fan should have. This is a DVD that any fan of simply great music should have. You can watch the trailer here and get an idea of what to expect. There are plenty of uplifting and tear-jerking moments, notably her "Make You Feel My Love" tribute to Amy Winehouse, which make this concert not just a musical journey but an emotional one. And even if you can't or won't buy the DVD, I will leave you with two videos that showcase Adele's otherworldly talent. The first is her famous performance of "Someone Like You" at the Brit Awards this February. The video has 69 million hits on YouTube - about 500 of those just from me - so chances are you've seen it already. This performance highlights what is so perfect about any Adele song. Her voice has so much power and feeling in it that a piano is all the accompaniment she needs to silence a crowd and let the magic happen. The other video I love is her Tiny Desk concert for NPR Music. Crammed into a small room with just a piano and a guitar, she goes through three songs, chatting away in between them, and being her simply astonishing self. It doesn't matter if she's in a packed auditorium or a small office in NPR. That voice cannot be contained.
Now going to a movie theater to watch a DVD of a concert seems like an odd arrangement (one that certainly confused my friend Lucy who was my +1 for the screening) but come on. It's Adele. If I can spend hours watching her sing songs on Youtube, I can certainly traipse down to the Angelika to watch her on the big screen with speakers blaring that big beautiful voice at me from all sides. And sure enough, this screening did not disappoint.
The concert is a 90-minute masterpiece that shows you just how many amazing songs she has in her repertoire despite only having two albums out. Quite frankly I'd be hard pressed to name a single song on either of her albums that is not superb, and this concert features only the most superlative songs of the bunch along with some truly inspired covers. The concert opens with "Hometown Glory," one of my especial favorites, and from that opening piano melody and luscious verse onward, I was transfixed. The songs keep on coming, the sad ones, the happy ones, ones requiring multiple violinists or a banjo player, other requiring just the sublime piano accompaniment from Miles Robertson. Throughout Adele's voice is in fine album-quality form, delivering the goods almost effortlessly. But what makes this concert truly enjoyable is what goes on in between the songs.
Adele is a charming, warm lady, who wants the cavernous Royal Albert Hall to feel like an intimate gathering among friends, so she tells stories (with some merrily R-rated language), introduces her best friends, gives us the background on many of the songs on her album, and basically lays her life bare. The most telling part is when she mentions that she is now friends with her ex, the infamous cause of the break-up that resulted in the mesmerizing songs on her latest album, 21. Some members of the audience boo at this news, and Adele laughs and chides them, saying that she thinks it's good that they've made up and can share the success of the album that was born out of their miserable relationship. She is quick to note that although the album portrays her as the hapless victim, she gave as good as she got and was equally to blame for the relationship's demise. The whole concert is filled with moments like this, serious discussions of her personal life, combined with hilarious anecdotes and the famous Adele cackle. Hearing her talk is such a different experience from hearing her sing, but it only makes you appreciate her as an artist even more. She is clearly invested in every one of these songs and their personal connection to her is what makes them soar.
This is a DVD that any Adele fan should have. This is a DVD that any fan of simply great music should have. You can watch the trailer here and get an idea of what to expect. There are plenty of uplifting and tear-jerking moments, notably her "Make You Feel My Love" tribute to Amy Winehouse, which make this concert not just a musical journey but an emotional one. And even if you can't or won't buy the DVD, I will leave you with two videos that showcase Adele's otherworldly talent. The first is her famous performance of "Someone Like You" at the Brit Awards this February. The video has 69 million hits on YouTube - about 500 of those just from me - so chances are you've seen it already. This performance highlights what is so perfect about any Adele song. Her voice has so much power and feeling in it that a piano is all the accompaniment she needs to silence a crowd and let the magic happen. The other video I love is her Tiny Desk concert for NPR Music. Crammed into a small room with just a piano and a guitar, she goes through three songs, chatting away in between them, and being her simply astonishing self. It doesn't matter if she's in a packed auditorium or a small office in NPR. That voice cannot be contained.
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