For one of the last concerts before confinement, we went to applaud the talented Beth Hart who once again played to a sold-out crowd in the prestigious Olympia hall for a double date that was quite exceptional as she performed alone on stage on Saturday 29th for an intimate evening, then with her band on Sunday. The setlist was therefore as unpredictable as the beautiful one who will reserve us some surprises on this beautiful evening..
Kris Barras band
Kris Barras, the former MMA champion converted to Blues music and whom we had the opportunity to meet to talk about his 'The Divine and the Dirty', is the one who has the privilege to open this musical evening. If his transition from mixed martial arts to music had convinced us, the experience on stage is another area that the athlete must continue to maintain to confirm his place and accustom an audience of aficionados to hear his tone of voice and see his tattooed 'face'.
Borrowing the stage prepared for Beth and her musicians and in a configuration and set up that we immediately recognize, Kris, accompanied by Josiah J Manning (Henry Essence, Wille and the Bandits), settles down in the greatest simplicity in front of the stage. No blabla, no introduction, the musician is there to play, and he does it because time is limited enough to allow him to make a mark. It is obviously with a 'Heart on your Sleeve' that the set starts with the sound of the two guitars for a successful entrance.
The rest of the set goes smoothly, but without much moment either. The musicians' playing is pleasant and efficient without being too technical or cheesy and Barras' voice lends itself particularly well to the genre. A few solo flights on these classical guitars punctuate the performance, pleasantly surprising the audience who remains attentive, and Barras manages, without knocking out his audience, to convey his emotions in this genre where they are essential.
A nice performance, which leaves us slightly on our hunger, whereas we secretly hoped for a longer set during which Barras could have exchanged more with his public. That'll be for another time!
Find all the pictures of Kris Barras band in HD
here.
Beth Hart
As in her last visit to Paris, the blues woman will make her debut from the back of the room, on the track 'Tell Her You Belong to Me' from the excellent 'Better Than Home'. A memorable ballad, so emotionally charged, this song allows her to meet her audience, to embrace her fans despite the threats of CoV who is currently touring... With an unfailing smile, she willingly lends herself to selfies, hugs and tender gestures towards this demanding audience, while gradually raising her voice. A beautiful introduction, strong in emotions and under the sign of benevolence until, with a jump of one (in spite of her ultra short dress), she lands on stage, without passing by the side stairs, nothing to do, and starts to move to the rhythms of 'Sugar Shack', driven by an incredible desire to play this concert, fully, 200%.
The next tracks are performed standing at the microphone, and make us discover a Beth all in sensuality, releasing all her 'bad girl' attitude by undulating her body on the suave mid-tempo of 'Close to My Fire'.
Alternating between songs from her repertoire and others borrowed from other great artists such as Bill Withers ('For My Friend') or Bobby 'Blue' Bland ('I'll Take Care of You'), she makes them her own. Beth Hart radiates a thousand lights and wants to exchange with her audience, whether it be by scattering a few anecdotes here and there to tell the context of a song ('Rub Me for Luck' written for Joe Bonamassa for example), or to give more information about their meanings.
The musicians who accompany it are truly remarkable, Jon Nichols on guitar, Tom Lilly on bass and Bill Ransom on percussion. The 6-string solo on 'I'll Take Car of You' is breathtaking, showing just one facet of Nichols' talent.
Ransom's playing is also breathtaking, and the singer's complicity and love for her drummer is clearly evident, guaranteeing the groove that is essential tonight.
Only Lilly doesn't seem to be in Olympic form and appears slightly underneath, a bit behind, especially when he performs on double bass.
But it is undeniably Beth who leads the orchestra according to her will. So we'll have 3 songs not planned in tonight's setlist added at the last moment, like 'Mama This Song's For You' written obviously for her mother Dorothy, at the end of which she wipes away a few tears, acclaimed and comforted by her audience, also very touched.
In the same way, it is at the end of the initial encore of 'Woman Down' and 'Bad Woman Blues' that Beth, who obviously didn't finish despite being 25 minutes late on the schedule, still euphoric, decides to launch a final 'I'd Rather Go Blind', Etta James' cover version, even if the lyrics escape her a little and she spends half of the song lying on stage, that doesn't stop her from bringing us to our feet one last time in an intensity and tension at its peak.
Bewitching, touching, sensual, sensitive, endearing? Beauty plays us and plays tricks on us when the emotion is too strong, when the lyrics fly away, or when her musicians never cease to impress her, even in the middle of a concert.
Alone at the piano on 'Take It Easy On Me', the singer lays her voice bare when the sigh of the verses becomes a song, before taking all its intensity on the choruses and bridge, not sparing her keyboard which trembles under her assaults, overwhelmed by her palpable emotions when her voice resounds in this almost religious Olympia. Apart from a few fans clapping their hands to the rhythms of the songs or to each solo, the audience is almost too disciplined. On 'My Baby Shot me Down', Ransom's acoustic drums continue to surprise the frontwoman who plays on this Latin-inspired tune to release all its sensuality. The real complicity between the singer and her drummer betrays the pride and the immense kindness she can have for her musicians who know how to put her in the spotlight.
The evening, rich in emotion, ends with a thunderous applause and a standing ovation. The frontwoman appeared more assertive, more comfortable than ever, for a memorable concert.
Many thanks to Replica for allowing us to cover this event.
Find all the pictures of Beth Hart in HD h
ere and the retransmission of the concert captured by the Arte teams on site
ArteLiveWeb.
Setlist :
Tell Her You Belong to Me
Sugar Shack
Close to My Fire (reprise de Slackwax)
For My Friend (reprise de Bill Withers)
Try a Little Harder
I'll Take Care of You (reprise de Bobby 'Blue' Bland)
Fire on the Floor
Rub Me for Luck
Jazz Man
Easy
Learning to Live
Isolation
Mama This One's for You
Take It Easy on Me
Without Words in the Way
Baby Shot Me Down
If I Tell You I Love You (reprise de Melody Gardot)
Love Gangster
Spanish Lullabies
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Woman Down
Bad Woman Blues
I'd Rather Go Blind (reprise de Etta James)