So the Philly show was FAB last night. It was an early show - KT went on shortly after 7, and she was a bit discombobulated as a result.
She started the wrong tune a couple of times, had to redo some loops, but there wasn't one person in the place who minded - we were all just so damn happy to see her again!
There was a calm and a confidence to her that was really awesome to witness. She was totally in her own skin - she wasn't KT TUNSTALL in marquee lights, she was Kate. Nice. My friends and I commented that she's hit that woman-in-her-late-30s-I've-figured-it-out-thing, which is where all of us are now, as well. (Well, ok, I hit the big 4-0 last week, but that's neither here nor there.) I loved seeing her do her thing solo again, as well. She was also g-d hilarious, as always.
Highlights for me - old faves, like OSOTW, Black Horse, Through the Dark, and SIS, but also many of the new tunes - great renditions of Feel It All, Made of Glass, and Waiting on the Heart. She also played Alchemy from Scarlet Tulip, which I adore. LOVE the Nashville tuning on that guitar. It sounded gorgeous in that room. The ultimate was ending the show with Chimes, where she looped her guitar, handed it offstage, and then just looped and looped more vocal harmonies, standing in front of the mic, moving to the music, snapping her fingers, totally exposed to the audience. That said it all, really. I hope she does another round (wishful thinking?) through here, as these songs are only going to get better on the road. I just wanted to give her a big hug afterward!
It was fab to get to see her play live again.
My one and only critical point: I wish she would slow down when she plays "Crescent Moon." I LOVE that song, and I feel like she's playing it too fast live, like a schmaltzy Broadway number. I want to hear the tenderness in it like you can on the record. I want it to melt into the walls of the hall. Maybe there's a reason she plays it differently live, but I wish it were softer.
Brian Lopez is AMAZING. He looks like a young Lindsey Buckingham and sounds like Jeff Buckley. He's a tall, strapping lad with a gorgeous, gentle voice, and Mexican-influenced classical guitar tunes. I really enjoyed him and will be picking up his album.
Also, I got to hang with Keith, my ol' KT concert-going buddy from back in the day, and it was like old times. I miss the groupie days. LOL
You guys who have yet to see her are in for a treat!
