Review and Photos by Terry Mayer
Sheryl Crow, the girl you wish lived next door, casually sauntered out on stage with her guitar strapped around her shoulder and a look of pure confidence. She was ready to have some fun with the sold out crowd. She started the night off with "Winding Road" to the delight of the crowd. She then led into a wonderfully written song about a hero of hers "Steve McQueen." "C'mon C'mon" sounded like it came straight out of an early 70s Greatest Hits album constantly advertised on TV. Sheryl started to get a hold of the audience and she wasn't about to let go. Her new sexy look consisted of tight fitting brown leather pants, white tank top and a giant Western style belt. On "You're an Original" she ironically borrowed the guitar riff from "Honky Tonk Woman" from the Stones, a band she has long admired. "Run Baby Run" begot "Strong Enough" then she produced the rhythmic and subtle "Happy."
"Changes" gave us a taste of Crow's impressive vocal range. A range that Celine Dion or Whitney Houston would find quite impressive.
Crow kept the stage hands moving back and forth as she switched from bass guitar to acoustical and everything in between. The night sky helped to slow things down a bit. On "Difficult Kind" she let her slower, but beautiful side take charge. The beginning was serene as the band subtly faded into the mix and gradually let the beat and tempo pick up as Crow's vocals started to soar. As she sang, her eyes would fix on your area in the audience and it appeared she was serenading you alone. The siren's voice mesmerized you and put you in a trance.
The song that brought her fame "All I Wanna Do" came next. The fans could no longer contain themselves as they were dancing and lip synching everywhere. Security guards where busy running back and forth trying to contain the dancing fools. It took awhile for the guards to gain control, but the beat of the music proved to be a powerful foe. "Soak Up The Sun" kept the party going, even the guys who brought their girlfriends to the concert just to impress them, couldn't help but sway back and forth and bend their knees a little. The electrifying night was brought to an end with the fun loving "Good Times Bad Times."
It was an evening devoted totally to Sheryl. Being one of the newer generation of divas, and head and shoulders above other younger female artists, Crow simply has a great voice, a hot body and can craft a great rock 'n roll song. She was having fun on stage and showed no signs of burning out anytime soon. Sheryl shouted "Lets have some fun," and the majority of the fans there that night couldn't have agreed more.