|
indie-snob>+!#
Rufus wainwright @ riviera theatre (2-20-04)
With shannon mcnally |
 Photo by Andy Scheffler Labelled the Gay Messiah, Rufus Wainwright is the one of the most forward of popular artists to express their sexuality in song. With his operatic, crystal clear voice and classical piano techniques, it's hard to tell where Rufus ends as a cultural icon and begins as a terribly talented musician. Both his mother and father were involved in music. In fact, his mother and aunt are folk legends Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Cultured on something between Elton John and the French music of his Quebec roots, Rufus Wainwright transcends any gay hype. Sure, it's easy to spot same-sex couples at the show, but frankly, it's real nice. How often can a performer draw such a precise, but diverse crowd? He sold out his show at the Vic in December, and while this show didn't sell quite as well (I was there early and one of the few people there for a good two hours until the show was starting), it was still amazing to see all the fans he has. Opening for him was Shannon McNally, who was touring with Rufus as a back-up singer. Her voice was lovely and old-fashioned, similar to many old-fashioned female country singers. Only problem was: I couldn't actually hear what her music sounded like. For some unknown reason, the stage was set so that on either side of her two monitors, there was a monitor flipped towards the audience, however, it was wired in such a way that it was coming some fractions of a second off, so that it was impossible to hear any of her set. Every time the stage manager or whoever would come over, we'd say something and they'd walk away. It was so frustrating and I felt terrible for such a talented young artist who really had no chance winning over the crowd. I'm really surprised she didn't notice. So, honestly, I can't guarantee any of her stuff was as lovely as I expected it to be, but I can say that I'd like to hear her again without any sound problems, although even then I'm not sure how much of an impression she would have made. Grade: B- (trying to ignore sound problems) Rufus Wainwright, on the other hand, wastes no time in making a strong impression, beginning his set with by playing an emotional love song on piano from Moulin Rouge. Backed by a full band (everything from pedal steel to violin), Rufus went through a strong hour and a half set. And, while I do have a hard time standing still that long for one band, with Rufus, it seemed to go by much easier as he changed from high energy songs like "Movies of Myself" to slower moving songs like "Vibrate." However, this does highlight one very key aspect of his set: It was all from Want One. And sure, I think that it's a wonderful album and completely deserving of every positive things that’s been said about it, but when the album is played almost in its entirety and the coverage of old material is limited only to "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" and similarly popular songs, I get a little suspect. I was pleasantly surprised with some of the tracks that have appeared on the iTunes-only EP, such as "Art Teacher," a lovely piano ballad to one of Rufus' boyfriends. Rufus' between-song banter was perhaps the most entertaining, as high adorable high voice cracked jokes and talked to the audience. It was wonderful to see him so happy, and that type of energy is really fed to the audience. John Mayer and the like really need to take lessons from a guy like Rufus, who can retain his dignity with what he writes and still have a very clear goal in his songcraft. Give him a chance. You'll like him. Grade: A- Setlist: Encore: Encore 2: "La Complainte De La Butte" Related reviews |