It's a shame how many empty seats there were last night, Aug. 9, when k.d. lang performed at Motor City Casino Hotel's Sound Board. To think of all the people who missed out on one of the premier vocalists of our time, running through her own tunes and some covers, was simply as heartbreaking as some of the songs themselves.
Lang kicked the 90-minute show off with "I Confess," which launches her 2011 studio album, "Sing It Loud" – her first in two decades with a core band. The richness and precision of her voice is incomparable, especially hitting notes like a pro during the Talking Heads' "Heaven."
The highlight, and there were many, was when she took on the covered-to-death "Hallelujah," but her take is unrivaled in vocal mastery and emotion – as witnessed by the people around me who were lost in the moment, some tearing up, as if they were listening to angels sing. The verses are expressed like she's at confession and then, during the chorus, her voice – a powerful belt – doesn't just come out of her mouth; it comes out of her soul. Talk about heaven.
She was joined on stage by the very talented Siss Boom Bang, an all-male foursome that also recorded "Sing It Loud" with lang. Her introductions to the guys were priceless, delivered with comedic professionalism – who knew lang was so damn funny? "I'm sure there are some men here who are saying, 'Yeah, my wife dragged me to that damn k.d. lang show,' she said. "Frankly, I'd be a little nervous if I were you, too." More lesbian jokes followed, as she later dipped into her country roots with the banjo – a "chick magnet," allegedly. She also told the audience there were "no haters" here, throwing in a Chick-Fil-A dig, and then promised to deliver a "fair and balanced" show. What she ended up delivering, however, was so much more than that.
K.D. Lang Leaves Audience Breathless At Detroit Show
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