Bright Show by Gray
by Jessica Liese '01, Arts & Entertainment Editor
The Mount Holyoke News; September 28, 2000
I had every reason to have a miserable time at Macy Grays show last Sunday at Smith College. Plagued by a low-energy crowd, extra-strict security and technical difficulties left and right, the evening showed all the signs of being a total bust. However, no amount of problems could hide the dynamic, energetic performance Gray eventually gave. Her set ultimately reminded me why I consider myself a fan of her music but, more importantly, why I even bother attending concerts in the first place.
The concert began promptly at eight o'clock with the opening act, the Philadelphia band Princes of Babylon. As much as I enjoy heckling opening acts, I have to say that I really couldn't find anything to complain about where they were concerned. The audience, most of whom evidently had never heard of the band, were less than interested, but this was hardly the fault of the Princes. Their imaginative blend of rap, jam-rock and funk with a dash of vocal percussion, got the audience's toes tapping, at least, but inspired few people to get on their feet and dance.
During the hour long break seperating the opening act and Macy Gray's set, the crowd began to get impatient and listless. A few people tried to revive the audience with chants of "Ma-CY! Ma-CY!" but even this failed to get most people going. I have to admit that by the time the lights dimmed and the PA music stopped, even I was feeling fairly cynical about the whole thing.
The instant Gray made her appearance, however, my cynicism completely evaporated. As she launched into "Do Something," one of the most danceable tunes on her album (On How Life Is), I suddenly found myself jumping to my feet and dancing, as if pulled by a mysterious force, as did most of the crowd.
It took a few minutes for the crowd to fully wake up from its boredom-induced daze, but the transformation from lethargic to ecstatic was nothing short of miraculous. It was hard to believe that this was the same audience who had yawned their way through the opening act.
Because Ms. Gray has only released one album and therefore has a fairly limited catalog of original songs, I wondered how she was going to fill up so much time. To my pleasant surprise, she performed an array of covers which demonstrated her wide variety of musical influences. The best of these was a funked-up version of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends"; however, "Brand New Key," originally sung by 70s folksinger Melanie, and the campy Doris Day hit "Que Sera, Sera" were also well-performed.
The show certainly held the star quality and slick (if somewhat
unreliable) production of a large-venue show; however, Ms. Gray
seemed to enjoy the intimacy of Greene Hall and used it to her
advantage. Accompanied by a 12-piece ensemble including four horn
players, three backup singers and a DJ, Gray breezed through covers
and originals alike with contagious enthusiasm, cracking jokes
between songs and even sitting on the edge of the stage to sing
to fans in the front row. Whether leading the audience in wave-your-hands-in-the-air
style choreography or belting out the emotionally charged chorus
of "Still," it
was apparent that Gray was giving the audience 100% and was getting
back as much. She understood well that playing to small, appreciative
crowds can often be more rewarding than playing to giant stadiums
full of screaming fans.
"Some people [perform] to make money," she told the audience. "Other people do it because they love music. But my band and I-- well, we do this because we love love." Gray certainly got her fair share of love and adulation from the audience-- and what's more, she deserved every bit of it.