Josh Groban & Dennis?
Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:59 pmCheck out this review from today's Edmonton Journal:
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/n ... 325f7407c8
Jo
Groban a crowd pleaser with raft of romantic songs
Plenty of semi-classical ear candy and schmaltz from charming artist
Tom Murray
Freelance
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
JOSH GROBAN
When: Tuesday night
Where: Rexall Place
Opening act: Angelique Kidjo
- - -
"There are lots of ladies in the audience," observed Josh Groban near the beginning of his set at Rexall Place last night, "and they like the romantic songs."
The 8,500 (mostly female) fans in attendance most definitely did, and they had a surfeit of them to choose from, all delivered in a warm, semi-operatic baritone that, along with his puppy dog good looks, has made Groban a massively successful recording and touring act.
As a vital cog in David Foster's stable of world- wide easy listening machinery, Groban sings pleasant, semi-classical ear candy -- inspirational, upbeat pop numbers with the kind of lyrics that make Up With People sound like dour misanthropists.
He does it well, too, emitting the gracious charm of a prince to the manor born, just shy of Teddy Pendergrass in the smooth-talkin' but adorable lover man category, prim and proper middle-class division.
Okay, Teddy might be stretching it -- truthfully, Groban grabs heavily from the Celine Dion school of string-laden, over-emotive pop.
The hits bear this out -- You Are Loved (Don't Give Up) from his newest album, Awake; In Her Eyes ("Her truth makes me stronger, does she realize I wake every morning with her strength by my side?"); and So She Dances, the song that had Groban musing on some of the lyrics and wondering if they were even too cheesy for him.
He's good at undercutting pretension, and self- deprecating, too.
God knows it would be easy for the man to flash that smile and murmur sweet nothings for the fans while mentally counting greenbacks, but Groban really does come across as a likeable performer.
He breaks through the usual stage chatter with snatches of karaoke on piano -- Tiny Dancer and Wanted Dead or Alive -- dances with opening act Angelique Kidjo (after a duet with her on Pearls), even walks through the crowd at one point.
The schmaltz is laid on heavily, however.
Lots of furious sawing from the assembled violins and cellos (visions of the Love Unlimited Orchestra) during February Song, which sounded as much like a late-period Styx knock-off as anything else. But while he occasionally channels Dennis DeYoung, Groban admits to a liking for Steve Perry, comparing his Remember When It Rained to Journey.
Now that takes some guts in this day and age of '70s dinosaur band bashing.
To top it off -- and possibly to show he likes to rock out as much as the next guy -- he had concertmaster Lucia Micarelli step out for some violin sawing, eventually swinging into Led Zeppelin's Kashmir.
© The Edmonton Journal 2007
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/n ... 325f7407c8
Jo
Groban a crowd pleaser with raft of romantic songs
Plenty of semi-classical ear candy and schmaltz from charming artist
Tom Murray
Freelance
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
JOSH GROBAN
When: Tuesday night
Where: Rexall Place
Opening act: Angelique Kidjo
- - -
"There are lots of ladies in the audience," observed Josh Groban near the beginning of his set at Rexall Place last night, "and they like the romantic songs."
The 8,500 (mostly female) fans in attendance most definitely did, and they had a surfeit of them to choose from, all delivered in a warm, semi-operatic baritone that, along with his puppy dog good looks, has made Groban a massively successful recording and touring act.
As a vital cog in David Foster's stable of world- wide easy listening machinery, Groban sings pleasant, semi-classical ear candy -- inspirational, upbeat pop numbers with the kind of lyrics that make Up With People sound like dour misanthropists.
He does it well, too, emitting the gracious charm of a prince to the manor born, just shy of Teddy Pendergrass in the smooth-talkin' but adorable lover man category, prim and proper middle-class division.
Okay, Teddy might be stretching it -- truthfully, Groban grabs heavily from the Celine Dion school of string-laden, over-emotive pop.
The hits bear this out -- You Are Loved (Don't Give Up) from his newest album, Awake; In Her Eyes ("Her truth makes me stronger, does she realize I wake every morning with her strength by my side?"); and So She Dances, the song that had Groban musing on some of the lyrics and wondering if they were even too cheesy for him.
He's good at undercutting pretension, and self- deprecating, too.
God knows it would be easy for the man to flash that smile and murmur sweet nothings for the fans while mentally counting greenbacks, but Groban really does come across as a likeable performer.
He breaks through the usual stage chatter with snatches of karaoke on piano -- Tiny Dancer and Wanted Dead or Alive -- dances with opening act Angelique Kidjo (after a duet with her on Pearls), even walks through the crowd at one point.
The schmaltz is laid on heavily, however.
Lots of furious sawing from the assembled violins and cellos (visions of the Love Unlimited Orchestra) during February Song, which sounded as much like a late-period Styx knock-off as anything else. But while he occasionally channels Dennis DeYoung, Groban admits to a liking for Steve Perry, comparing his Remember When It Rained to Journey.
Now that takes some guts in this day and age of '70s dinosaur band bashing.
To top it off -- and possibly to show he likes to rock out as much as the next guy -- he had concertmaster Lucia Micarelli step out for some violin sawing, eventually swinging into Led Zeppelin's Kashmir.
© The Edmonton Journal 2007
How gorgeous is "To Where You Are"? The go-to funeral song along with Garth Brooks' "The Dance."
