| Saturday 20 December 2003 |
|
Carey belts out crisp, dreamy songs
Mariah Carey came to Tucson last night for her first concert ever here and my daughter, Sara, and I both went. It was supposed to start at 7:30, but the five-octave diva didn't make it to the stage until nearly 9 p.m. Young people - those not in their 40s - apparently are used to this and can find almost anything to keep themselves occupied until showtime.
Sara (pointing to a child who looked about 4): "Look at that little girl over there, singing Mariah Carey songs to herself. See, I told you that you didn't need to freak about getting here right on time." Others spent their time in sarcasm. "I could have gone to the Shania Twain concert in Phoenix and still gotten back in time for this one," someone nearby said.
Sara and I stood on our chairs to see Carey when she finally made her entrance, surrounded by her entourage and security guards, from the back of the arena. Her angelic voice soon soothed the near-sellout crowd as she sang "Heartbreaker" and "Dream Lover", songs that made her a nearly overnight sensation at age 20.
Then Carey left the stage and changed outfits. She did this nine times during the hour and 45 minutes of her performance. Mary: "Maybe they were still ironing all those clothes and that's why she didn't get to start on time." Sara: No response, unless you count eye rollings. Sara definitely liked some of the clothing, or lack of it, more than I did.
That aside, there was an exuberance and energy that showed her audience that the old Mariah Carey, the one before the nervous breakdown in 2001, was back and strong. The songs, including a sprinkling of Christmas carols, were crisp and dreamy and just what the crowd of "lambs", as Carey calls her fans, came to hear. The crowd got to hear some of the songs on her newest album, "Charmbracelet", including "Through the Rain", which like many of Carey's self-penned lyrics was fairly autobiographical.
"Thanks to every one of you devoted fans for sticking with me through the good times and the bad time," Carey said. Then she dedicated her song "Hero" to them. Sara: "That was a bad concert, Mom." Mary: (feigned oblivion) "No, I really liked it." Again with the eye rolling. I may be in my 40s, but I do know the teenage definition of "bad". (Tucson Citizen)
|
