Adele, the current #1 female artist, is an unconventional superstar. Her songs are played on all the top hits radio stations, yet, she sounds nothing like the bubbly pop stars with their toned, tanned bodies and altered and auto-tuned voices. Adele is the epitome of talent, with a savvy flair for writing lyrics and that eternally classic voice that sends shivers up your spine.
Before Adele took the stage, however, we got to see what I can only describe as the most badass 74 year old woman alive. Wanda Jackson, dubbed the "Queen of Rockabilly" opened for Adele with the Dusty 45's jazz band playing behind her. Wanda, a firecracker who isn't afraid to yodel for the crowd, was once upon a time the girlfriend of Mr. Elvis Presley. She has sung with such company as Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis and in 2009 she got a call from Jack White to sing on an album with him. She performed a few songs from the album with Jack White, a few Elvis songs and even an Amy Winehouse song. She exited the stage in a literal flame of glory as the horn player lit his horn on fire and played through the flames. I couldn't believe the novelty that we'd experienced, and found myself loving Adele even more for choosing Wanda Jackson as her opener.
What I experienced next was one of the most incredible concerts I've ever had the pleasure of attending. Adele entered the stage in nothing but a blackout, singing alongside only her piano player. She sang half in the dark, half in the spot light and won us all over within those first 2 minutes. The next few songs introduced a orange-lit stage with an array of vintage lamps hanging from the ceiling. Adele, dressed in a glamours old-Hollywood inspired black sequin dress with gigantically poofed wig-clad blonde hair, looked stunning. And when she sang, nobody spoke, everybody listened.
The collection of music she presented was a wandering array of heartbreak ballads and a capella renditions of charming vocals. But the music wasn't the only thing that made Adele the incredible performer that she is. It was the quick quips and bewitching British humor in between songs that brought her to life. She talked in a thick cockney accent, cussed like a sailor and cackled like a witch. It was hard to believe that the woman talking in between the songs was the same woman singing those songs. But, somehow, it was all part of her undeniable grace.
I was ecstatic that halfway through the set Adele sang her cover of the Steel Drivers "If It Hadn't Been for Love." The song wasn't released with her album, 21, but rather was an extra that I had stumbled upon from a CD Brad gave me a few months back. I wasn't expecting her to sing it, but I am sure glad she did. Here is a video of her rendition from last night:
After the concert, Brad and I drove home down the windy roads of Griffith Park with permanent smiles plastered to our faces as Crosby, Stills and Nash sang to us through the radio. It was all very appropriate, this evening. The concert was perfection and Adele is a powerhouse and an inspiration. If you haven't checked her out, I am urging you to do so. And see her live the next time she comes around, it will remind you of the all the beauty and talent a female artist can possess.
