Big power ballads
By John Berger
suit Celine best
Special to the Star-BulletinWhen Celine Dion pretended she was going to call it a night after doing a 70-minute show that didn't include her current megahit, "My Heart Will Go On," her fans played along. They applauded and screamed and waved glow-in-the-dark concert souvenirs as if there might not be an encore.
Celine Dion 7:30 tonight, Blaisdell Arena. Sold out.
When Dion returned for the predictable encore and left a second time after turning "Because You Loved Me" into an audience sing-along, they cheered their hearts out.
And when she returned a third time, teased them with a generic bar-band rendition of "Twist and Shout" and finally sang the love song from "Titanic," they went crazy. It's a safe bet tonight's show will be a clone of last night's performance.
Rumors that speakers block the stage view are untrue. The problem is that video screens which normally allow greater appreciation of the artist's performance are positioned such that many in the crowd can't get a good view.
Concert sound last night was generally good, but when Dion announced it was time to "rock and roll," the lyrics promptly went to mush. Rock and roll doesn't seem to be her thing.
Dion seemed comfortable and most natural singing the big, beautiful, mainstream power ballads that showcase her vocal technique. When the energy level spiked up into hard-driving rock she seemed less sure of herself and fell back on a limited repertoire of mechanical movements. At times the performance was oddly soulless.
Dion opened with her 1993 remake of "The Power of Love" and followed with a cover of "River Deep Mountain High" that suggests a bad case of Boltonitis, i.e., the delusion that a white-bread pop singer can sing R&B classics better than the original artists. Dion has a magnificent voice, but trying to eclipse Tina Turner is a no-go.
Some better picks from her repertoire were conspicuously missing -- her 1991 gem, "Where Does My Heart Beat Now?" for example. The 10 minutes spent on band member solos might well have been trimmed a bit to allow more time for her hits.
Dion was at her best with "a new song" she didn't identify. It was fresh and original. "Love Can Move Mountains," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Because You Loved Me" were other highlights.
John Berger has covered the
local entertainment scene since 1972.
