2008 Woodie Awards
Rufus Wainwright show fills Valentine's Day void
Tim Bruderek
Issue date: 2/19/04 Section: Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
Rufus Wainwright provided a welcomed alternative for those lacking traditional Valentine's Day plans last Saturday, as he performed a set of his trademark lush music at Vassar College.
Tickets were cheap, and since the show was held in Vassar's chapel, the audience had an up-close experience with Rufus.
Many sat impatiently through the opening band, Rainer Maria, whose dreadful noise made the audience yearn for the beautiful music of the headlining act. After Rainier Maria finished their set, Shannon McNally delivered her quiet country/folk stylings - nice, but nothing spectacular.
Finally Rufus took the stage. Backed by six astounding musicians he opened with a song in French, then proceeded with the Broadway twinged "14th Street" from the new album "Want One". This set the standard for the rest of the night. The band was tight, and everyone sang backup. The sheer power of the band and Rufus' dynamic, sparkling voice carried throughout the 22 songs to follow.
Wainwright performed 13 out of 14 songs off of "Want One": an exceptional feat, considering the intense complexity, layering, and orchestration that characterizes each of the album's brilliant pieces. His showmanship was remarkable; besides singing with a voice that can make the stars weep, he delivered hilarious anecdotes, quips, and one-liners between songs that helped to lighten the serious nature of his emotional and personal lyrics.
Highlights from the new album included the jazzy "Harvester of Hearts," which smoked up the altar, the gorgeous; the delicate "Natasha," which featured some of Wainwright's most impressive singing; the epic "Go or Go Ahead;" and the knockout, pulsating "Beautiful Child," which ended the set. Thrown in between gems from "Want One" were some older standouts such as the boroque-inspired "Greek Song," the sinister "Matinee Idol," and the passionate, swinging "Foolish Love."
Wainwright introduced a few songs that will be featured on his forthcoming album "Want Two." Included were the funny yet poignant "Gay Messiah" (ironically performed in a church), and the tongue-in-cheek "The Art Teacher," which tells of a young girl's ("a.k.a. Rufus Wainwright's," according to the singer) infatuation with her handsome yet unreachable art teacher. Another highlight of the show was Wainwright's cover of the Leonard Cohen classic "Hallelujah." Accompanied by his piano and the angelic, choirlike voices of backup singers McNally and Joan Wassar, the sheer beauty of the lyrics and Wainwright's pristine voice were sure to give the crowd chills and bring tears to many eyes.
The crowd was treated to three encore songs: "Oh What a World" (in which the band wore witch costumes and proceeded to melt at the end of the song), "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" (clearly the crowd favorite), and "Liberty Cabbage" (a song about Wainwright's "love/hate relationship with this country"). He preceded this song by proclaiming "We have to get rid of George Bush," a statement that induced the most positive reaction of the night.
Tickets were cheap, and since the show was held in Vassar's chapel, the audience had an up-close experience with Rufus.
Many sat impatiently through the opening band, Rainer Maria, whose dreadful noise made the audience yearn for the beautiful music of the headlining act. After Rainier Maria finished their set, Shannon McNally delivered her quiet country/folk stylings - nice, but nothing spectacular.
Finally Rufus took the stage. Backed by six astounding musicians he opened with a song in French, then proceeded with the Broadway twinged "14th Street" from the new album "Want One". This set the standard for the rest of the night. The band was tight, and everyone sang backup. The sheer power of the band and Rufus' dynamic, sparkling voice carried throughout the 22 songs to follow.
Wainwright performed 13 out of 14 songs off of "Want One": an exceptional feat, considering the intense complexity, layering, and orchestration that characterizes each of the album's brilliant pieces. His showmanship was remarkable; besides singing with a voice that can make the stars weep, he delivered hilarious anecdotes, quips, and one-liners between songs that helped to lighten the serious nature of his emotional and personal lyrics.
Highlights from the new album included the jazzy "Harvester of Hearts," which smoked up the altar, the gorgeous; the delicate "Natasha," which featured some of Wainwright's most impressive singing; the epic "Go or Go Ahead;" and the knockout, pulsating "Beautiful Child," which ended the set. Thrown in between gems from "Want One" were some older standouts such as the boroque-inspired "Greek Song," the sinister "Matinee Idol," and the passionate, swinging "Foolish Love."
Wainwright introduced a few songs that will be featured on his forthcoming album "Want Two." Included were the funny yet poignant "Gay Messiah" (ironically performed in a church), and the tongue-in-cheek "The Art Teacher," which tells of a young girl's ("a.k.a. Rufus Wainwright's," according to the singer) infatuation with her handsome yet unreachable art teacher. Another highlight of the show was Wainwright's cover of the Leonard Cohen classic "Hallelujah." Accompanied by his piano and the angelic, choirlike voices of backup singers McNally and Joan Wassar, the sheer beauty of the lyrics and Wainwright's pristine voice were sure to give the crowd chills and bring tears to many eyes.
The crowd was treated to three encore songs: "Oh What a World" (in which the band wore witch costumes and proceeded to melt at the end of the song), "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" (clearly the crowd favorite), and "Liberty Cabbage" (a song about Wainwright's "love/hate relationship with this country"). He preceded this song by proclaiming "We have to get rid of George Bush," a statement that induced the most positive reaction of the night.