Sade
August 30, 2011
Honda Center
If Sade in concert doesn't get you in the mood for some sweet love making, I don't know what will. Sade wowed the crowd with her smooth, sultry and seductive voice at the Honda Center last night.
From the start the Sade and the band
seduced the crowd (what looked like a full house) into their spell.
Dressed in black and her hair up in a pony tail and a composed look on
her face, she ascended into view of the audience from a staircase hidden
in the middle of the stage and went into “Soldier of Love.”
]
Everyone
went crazy and kept screaming “I love you.” The entire
performance flowed easily (much like a Sade song) from one song to the next, with many of their
hits such as: “Your Love is King,” “Smooth Operator” and “The Sweetest
Taboo.”
Her performance was definitely about showcasing her voice; there weren't any stage pyrotechnics or over-the-top dance gyrations but rather
simple, easy (seductive!) moves that kept audiences entranced. And when the
band wanted to show off their stuff, she stood out of the lime-light and gave
them their moment to shine.
Though the stage was simple, it was a very visual show, with lights and video imagery
judiciously used to match the feel of the certain songs.
There were very few wardrobe changes throughout the night: Sade had four looks
all together. She started the show dressed in black. At the beginning of “Smooth Operator,” she changed into a white button-shirt underneath a black vest (still mostly in black). Her next transformation was a shimmering,
form-fitting dress with a lacy, magenta bra peeking out…ooh la la!
She finished the show dressed in a sultry yet demure red dress for her
encore: “Cherish The Day.” Toward the end of the song she rose above the
stage on a tiny platform, looking like a queen admiring all her royal
subjects. When she came down she and the band took their final bow and
headed down the same stairs she started the show with.
This is Sade's first world tour in 10 years; she said, “If it's
true love, 10 years is nothing … Thanks for keeping the flame alive.”
Her demeanor throughout the show showed just how thankful
and humble she was for everyone to come see them.
Critic's Bias: “By Your Side” just made me melt. Now I know why my
sister and her husband chose this as their wedding song 9 years ago.
The Crowd: Let's just say while I definitely wasn't the oldest person
there… I wasn't the youngest. The guy next to me was a
dead ringer for teenage Michael Jackson, and drove with his dad from Riverside–for his FIRST concert! Definitely not a bad first concert to go
to.
Overheard in the Crowd:
“First Prince, now Sade…I feel like my youth is coming back!”
Walking to the car after the show was done: “That was like 10 times better than I ever expected.”
Random notebook dump: It took me an hour just to get off the freeway and
into the Honda Center (note to self: just take surface streets there
next time, I mean I only live three miles away), so I missed most of John Legend's set. I
blame the stupid traffic cops' poor job for that mishap.
Random notebook dump 2: Fairly certain I saw Elijah
Wood smoking outside when I got my tickets. Right before the show
started, Wimer Valderrama came in with his lady friend. Fellow actor Columbus Short was
also with him.
Setlist:
Soldier of Love
Your Love Is King
Skin
Kiss of Life
Love Is Found
In Another Time
Smooth Operator
Jezebel
Bring Me Home
Is It A Crime
Love Is Stronger Than Pride
All About Our Love
Paradise
Nothing Can Come Between Us
Morning Bird
King of Sorrow
The Sweetest Taboo
The Moon and the Sky
Pearls
No Ordinary Love
By Your Side
Cherish The Day
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