| Dallas Star-Telegram | DALLAS -- Annie Lennox is thin and tiny. But her soulful voice and considerable stage presence can't be contained by any formal measurement.
She proved this at McFarlin Auditorium on Saturday night, her first concert in Dallas in 12 years, when she came through with the Eurythmics. The show marks her first solo tour, and, at age 48, she is in prime form.
Her husky voice was still beautiful as ever. Her energetic charisma and devotion to putting on a great show were in full force. And those trademark theatrical facial expresses? Still got it.
Supported by a five-piece band, three backup singers and a giant video screen that projected images of her, Lennox performed a 19-song set, the first half of which was drawn from 1992's Diva and 1995's cover album Medusa.
Money Can't Buy It, Little Bird, Walking on Broken Glass, No More "I Love You's" and a hauntingly lovely performance of Cold were crowd pleasers. Wonderful and Bitter Pill were two of four songs from her new record Bare, due June 10.
Then, about halfway through, she performed the first of seven songs from her Eurythmics period. There was a stunning ballad arrangement of Here Comes the Rain Again with Lennox playing a baby grand piano. Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves, Who's That Girl? and Would I Lie to You? were astonishing, but the biggest surprise was a jam version of You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart.
The encore included Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) and I Need a Man, followed by a show-stopping Why.
She wasn't overly conversational, but her few words were sweet and gracious. Rare among soloists, she also seems to have a genuine rapport with her musicians and backing singers.
Let's hope it's not another 12 years before she comes to town again. |
| The Dallas Morning News | Annie Lennox is living proof that the power of visuals is not confined to
huge video screens and elaborate, colorful props. From her performance
perspective, optically arresting images shouldn't be contrived, fabricated.
They should come from within; they should make an immediate connection with
the viewers' hearts and minds, not just their eyes.
The Scottish singer-songwriter, once the androgynous centerpiece of '80s duo
Eurythmics, was a marvel to watch and hear Saturday night before an adoring
crowd at Southern Methodist University's McFarlin Auditorium. The show was
one of only 20 dates in the United States. It was also part of her first
solo tour and a precursor to the June 10 release of her third album, Bare.
Backed by a five-man band and three female background vocalists, Ms. Lennox
delivered 90 minutes of R&B-heavy music that covered her entire recorded
career, from Eurythmics material to songs from 1992's Diva , 1995's Medusa
and four cuts from Bare.
She offered them all with the sheer force of her presence and the soulful
power of her voice. There was a large video screen at the back of the stage,
but it was primarily used to reflect the minimal, effective lighting. The
focus of the concert was always Ms. Lennox, who sang with every inch of her
body. Gestures subdued and dramatic gave way to pronounced facial
expressions, stealthy posturing and deliberate body movements.
Everything she did matched everything she sang. It was as if she were
channeling the mood of the song through her slim, wiry physique. She's an
all-encompassing performer. During the explosive "I Need a Man," from
Eurythmics' underrated 1987 album Savage, the platinum blonde was sexy yet
ambiguous. She touched her body, stopping this close to turning salacious.
It was a fierce rendition.
If she wanted to, Ms. Lennox could be a natural belter. Her pipes have
strength and endurance as well as impressive range and control. But she'd
rather get inside the tune and honor its purpose instead of over-singing its
words. She delivered "No More 'I Love You's'," from Medusa, with quiet
intensity, caressing the song's bittersweet lyrics with gentle care.
Still, she wasn't against turning a familiar track inside out. She
transformed "Here Comes the Rain Again," the Eurythmics' terrific 1984
single, into a gorgeous piano ballad that featured her own keyboard playing.
"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves," her feminist anthem from 1985, became
an acoustic rave-up that showcased her background singers, Carol Kenyon,
Beverly Skeete and Claudia Fontaine.
But it was all about Ms. Lennox and her electric, mystifying presence. From
the funk-tinged "Bitter Pill," one of the new songs, to "Sweet Dreams (Are
Made of This)," an '80s synth classic, she commanded your full sensory
attention. |
| Dallas News.Com | Lennox is a lone spectacle
She needs no extras to support her potent, physical performance. Annie Lennox is living proof that the power of visuals is not confined to huge video screens and elaborate, colorful props. From her performance perspective, optically arresting images shouldn't be contrived, fabricated. They should come from within; they should make an immediate connection with the viewers' hearts and minds, not just their eyes.
The Scottish singer-songwriter, once the androgynous centerpiece of '80s duo Eurythmics, was a marvel to watch and hear Saturday night before an adoring crowd at Southern Methodist University's McFarlin Auditorium. The show was one of only 20 dates in the United States. It was also part of her first solo tour and a precursor to the June 10 release of her third album, Bare.
Backed by a five-man band and three female background vocalists, Ms. Lennox delivered 90 minutes of R&B-heavy music that covered her entire recorded career, from Eurythmics material to songs from 1992's Diva, 1995's Medusa and four cuts from Bare. She offered them all with the sheer force of her presence and the soulful power of her voice. There was a large video screen at the back of the stage, but it was primarily used to reflect the minimal, effective lighting. The focus of the concert was always Ms. Lennox, who sang with every inch of her body. Gestures -- subdued and dramatic -- gave way to pronounced facial expressions, stealthy posturing and deliberate body movements.
Everything she did matched everything she sang. It was as if she were channeling the mood of the song through her slim, wiry physique. She's an all-encompassing performer. During the explosive "I Need a Man," from Eurythmics' underrated 1987 album Savage, the platinum blonde was sexy yet ambiguous. She touched her body, stopping this close to turning salacious. It was a fierce rendition.
If she wanted to, Ms. Lennox could be a natural belter. Her pipes have strength and endurance as well as impressive range and control. But she'd rather get inside the tune and honor its purpose instead of over-singing its words. She delivered "No More 'I Love You's'," from Medusa, with quiet intensity, caressing the song's bittersweet lyrics with gentle care.
Still, she wasn't against turning a familiar track inside out. She transformed "Here Comes the Rain Again," the Eurythmics' terrific 1984 single, into a gorgeous piano ballad that featured her own keyboard playing. "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves," her feminist anthem from 1985, became an acoustic rave-up that showcased her background singers, Carol Kenyon, Beverly Skeete and Claudia Fontaine.
But it was all about Ms. Lennox and her electric, mystifying presence. From the funk-tinged "Bitter Pill," one of the new songs, to "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," an '80s synth classic, she commanded your full sensory attention. |
