A few songs into his show, George Michael remarked, "I know a lot of single guys won't tell anyone they were here." Fortunately, he put on a great show that anyone present should spread the word of. He performed a quality selection from his 25 years in the biz, full of catchy dance songs and surprising ballads, and his singing was fantastic.
Highlights included an early song from the Wham! days, "I'm Your Man", that recalls the golden age of Motown. Then there was the gospel-tinged ballad "Father Figure", the Elvis throwback "Faith", and a fantastic jazz version of "Roxanne". George followed the classic cover with another smoky jazz song, his late 80s composition "Kissing a Fool".
Many of George's fans are, like him, openly gay, and many moments of the show celebrated homosexuality. I felt more like a party crasher than a rabbi in Mecca, though. He remarked that "Flawless" may be "the gayest song of the night", but I think that honor goes to "Outside", his disco song poking fun at the embarrassing incident that outed him.
The smooth jazz of "Careless Whisper" would have been a fine finale, since it was the only song not accompanied by videos on the huge screens that defined the stage. The souped-up screen savers and music videos threatened to turn this concert into a movie, especially when credits rolled at the end. Nevertheless, George and his magic screens returned for a more fitting closer, the upbeat anthem "Freedom! '90".
This might be George's last tour, so see him while you can. Hope you like disco and its post-70s equivalents. And if you have something against gays...what's wrong with you?
What a great night of fun. George did a fine job and the mix of people was great; gay men, droves of straight women, and a spattering of couples. George emittted an aura of happiness and he seems to attract fans who are the same. The music was funky and the beat moved you to dance. I have always found the gay crowd to be very welcoming to us straight folks.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the song too much, but I wouldn't be totally pissed off if "Freedom" was a substitute for the shitty shit they put on the radio on.
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