The First Lady of Soul
Last night, under storm threatening skies, I experienced the voice of the First Lady of Soul, Aretha Franklin at Wolf Trap.
And I must admit, it was somewhat bittersweet. Her voice is truly a national treasure, but something was off on Thursday night.
While she did do some of her Atlantic Records period tunes, she passed on singing most of her fan-favorite hits such as “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)”, “Think” and “Chain Of Fools”. She did perform a couple tunes from her new CD scheduled for release in September, A Woman Falling Out of Love.
But saddest, at least to me, was that she seemed to either have some serious issues with her voice or perhaps her range just ain’t what it used to be. She couldn’t hit any of the classic Aretha high notes and the powerhouse voice that won her nineteen Grammy Awards and is heard on over 50 albums (8 gold and 5 platinum) just wasn’t there.
When she didn’t come back for an encore, I had to suspect something was not right.
And on a side note rant…a little advice to the group that was sitting next to me…
When you go to a concert, try to remember, people go to concerts to actually listen to the performer on stage. That’s why all those people are there. I know it’s shocking, but we did not come to listen to you and your loud and non-stop talking friends gab throughout the ENTIRE show. Since you seemed totally uninterested in the music and appeared to be afflicted with terminal NUTS (No Unspoken Thought Syndrome), please, next time simply go to a restaurant and have a great time. And one other thing…if you want a good view of the stage, show up early like the rest of us. Then, you won’t have to make a scene when you see a spot big enough for two people and disturb everyone by asking (demanding) people to move to make room for you and your nine other tardy friends. Next time, get to the concert on time or be willing to sit in the back with the rest of the late comers. In fact, next time, just stay home.
End rant. Sorry.
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POSTED IN: Great Places to Unwind, Music, Nightlife
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