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Alanis Shines Unplugged in Concert
Venue/Date:
San Francisco Blues Festival (San Francisco, CA)
Concert Date: April 20th, 2003
Reviewer: admin
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Opening Band
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Opening Song
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Set List
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Sound Quality
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The Finish/Encore
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9.04
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The Bottom Line Alanis Shines Unplugged
First off I'm going to have to confess: I have an ulterior
motive for going to Alanis Morissette concerts. My brother Jason is a guitarist
and has been in her band since November 2001. Before you write to me and ask, he
says she's very, very nice.
Like everyone else who wasn't living in a cave, I heard the hits off of 1995's
multiple Grammy award winner, "Jagged Little Pill". Those receiving heavy
airplay were some great tunes to be sure, such as "Hand in My Pocket" and "Head
Over Feet". While the songs on 2002's "Under Rug Swept" may not be as commercial
as many on 'Pill', Alanis seems to have lost the somewhat nasal tone of the
earlier record and is purely singing now.
If there were any doubt to that observation, it certainly was refuted at an
Earth Day benefit, "We The Planet", at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on
Easter Sunday, 4-20-03. I saw Alanis' electric band with my brother in May 2002.
Great, disciplined seven piece band, great show. This however was the stripped
down, unplugged Alanis, with only Jason and Dave on acoustic guitars, Alanis on
a stool between them just singing, although she did pick up a flute during one
tune.
Having heard both within a year of each other, I have to say I much prefer the
simplified, acoustic Alanis Morissette. Maybe I'm a bit biased, but Jason and
Dave work incredibly well together, never getting in each other's way, just two
natural sounding guitars weaving together a rich and intricate framework where
Alanis' beautiful vocal instrument can weave her thought provoking, charismatic
tales.
The set began with an admonition to get out there and live, "You Learn": "I
recommend getting your heart trampled on to anyone" and "I recommend biting off
more than you can chew to anyone". Next was "Right Through You", a bit of
relationship bitterness. Alanis has been accused of being a ragaholic in some
circles, a woman with some ill will towards men. I don't see it that way, I see
it coming from a disarmingly honest artist who is not afraid to talk about being
taken for granted as we all have been at one time or another.
Alanis continued her unbridled honesty with "So Unsexy", bluntly revealing the
fragility underneath her great stardom and beauty: "One small sideways look and
I feel so ungood", or "One forgotten phone call and I'm deflated".
"Utopia" followed, the perfect Earth Day lyrics recalling John Lennon's plea for
brotherhood in "Imagine":
"We would share and listen and support and welcome.
Be propelled by passion not invest in outcomes.
We would breathe and be charmed and amused by difference.
Be gentle and make room for every emotion."
"Hands Clean", the hit from 'Under Rug Swept' followed, a tune which goes over
perfectly in the acoustic setting, Jason and Dave's particularly pretty
fingerpicking the backdrop for another cutting real life tale of teenage love
and betrayal by an adult. The set closed out with "Ironic" ("It's meeting the
man of my dreams and then meeting his beautiful husband"), "That I Would Be
Good", and "Thank You".
Most stunning about this consistently stunning 40 minute set was the clarity,
beauty and range of Alanis' voice throughout. While this is evident in her
electric band as well, it becomes even more obvious with only two acoustic
guitars resonating behind her.
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