Donna Summer's Summer Tour

[EricHG23]

Ha, wow I didn't even know David came to Van. Yeah--I mean not to make too big a deal about it, but you hear a lot of complaints about casino venues (I know the place in CasinoRama in Ontario is *massive* and I found ahd awful sightlines) so this was a pleasant surprise.

[keefelc]

Well, we (6 of us) made our way to the beautiful Paramount Theatre to see Donna this Saturday night. Found a parking space RIGHT IN FRONT of the theatre! Arrived nice and early so we could relax a bit and chat with each other, as well as friends we encountered at the theatre. Then before you knew it, it was time to make our way to our seats. Some of us were in Row M, so pretty close to the stage.

Now Eric, I didn't read your review until just now because I wanted to be surprised. So, now that I've read, I've found our shows were pretty similar beginning with the fab Giorgio Moroder music before the show started including Cat People and, sounding absolutely terrific, The Chase from Midnight Express.

Then, the lights started to dim (funny that she started our show about 15 minutes late also) and from the huge cheer that broke out, we knew we had an audience that was ready for Donna!

Our set list was also very similar to your show. People were on their feet for most of the numbers. In fact, I venture to say you could count the number of songs where people were sitting down on one hand! Why did we bother having seats???

Donna looked and sounded terrific. She didn't look anywhere as bad as some of those unflattering photos that have been posted.

The sets were also quite nice with the multiple LED screens and the dancers really complimented her show quite well.

We did get an intermission, right where you said you thought it would be.

Oh, and I think it was after MacArthur Park, the audience started cheering and cheering and cheering, and then we started cheering some more! Went on for quite awhile and it looked like Donna started tearing up.

I do believe this was when she brought up her tale of wanting to write a song with a message, which lead to her singing Bring Down The Reign.

The other difference we had with your show is she started her encore with Fame (The Game), with the screens flashing images of mostly dead movie stars. While that was going on, her dancers were pretending to be paparazzi photographing Donna. I actually could have done without this number.

Oh! And I have to say that I don't care much for Slide Over Backwards on the CD, but I thought it was vastly improved during the concert! I thought the live heavy bass made the difference.

Finally, were you disappointed with the Donna souvenir merchandise?? The stuff for sale at our show was really BORING. Plus, they didn't have any Donna souvenir programs for sale! One of our friends had a cool red t-shirt with Love To Love You Baby in the same lettering as her album on it. We wondered why nothing like that shirt for sale??? That and the fact that she didn't sing much from the early albums were our few small gripes. However, overall, it was a good show.

[Dansez!]

It was a wonderful concert last night at the Paramount Theatre! Both my cousin and me have seen Donna before but for our friends, it was their first time and they loved her and could not stop talking about the show afterwards.

We were in the front orchestra and like most everyone around us, were on our feet dancing more than we were sitting in our seats.

My favorite moments were MacArthur Park, Enough Is Enough, On the Radio and Last Dance. I felt those songs were the songs where you could really hear the beauty and the power of her voice.

I liked Slide Over Backwards more than I thought I would (I tend not to listen to it on the CD). It was very noticable that the songs from the new CD didn't receive the same enthusiastic reaction as her other songs (with the exception of The Queen Is Back and I'm a Fire, perhaps).

My main critique would be that sound was not so good, which surprised me. There were many times I couldn't hear the backing vocalists and many times where Donna's voice was at the same level as the musicians and was somewhat lost in the mix. I spoke to a couple of people during the intermission who felt the same.

Even so, it was a wonderful night and a great concert!

[keefelc]

Originally Posted by Dansez!

It was very noticable that the songs from the new CD didn't receive the same enthusiastic reaction as her other songs (with the exception of The Queen Is Back and I'm a Fire, perhaps).

My main critique would be that sound was not so good, which surprised me. There were many times I couldn't hear the backing vocalists and many times where Donna's voice was at the same level as the musicians and was somewhat lost in the mix. I spoke to a couple of people during the intermission who felt the same.

I'm so glad you mentioned the sound mix of the Donna's vocals, Dansez! I thought it was my imagination so I didn't say anything. I know I've been to shows at the Paramount Theatre where the performer's vocals sounded just terrific, so I know it wasn't the acoustics at the theatre. What was the sound engineer thinking???

Jerry Bonham, who went to the concert with us, said it best when he said, "I want to hear her sing the old stuff!" I also noticed she seems to always sing the same "older" songs over and over. Maybe after seeing how well people responded to "Dim All The Lights," she'll be motivated to add some different songs from her early catalog!

[EricHG23]

Donna has a soft spot for Dim All The Lights (it was her first single written allby herself I think--I know she was very hurt by Casablanca releasing Enough is Enough earlier than they told her when Dim was at number 2 and looked likely to hit number 1--even if it has slightly been forgotten now).

Great to read both your reports! It's funny you mention Fame--I know most shows with an intermission got that. Lots of people seem to either love the song--one of their faves of the new stuff or not at all. LOL.

Agreed about the merchandise. I got a retro yellow tshirt with that Donna eye picture on it just to get something but... I woulda loved a program as I collect them from concerts I go to--it seems odd they didn't have one.

As for more old stuff... Well I woulda loved at least one more nugget--Could it BE Magic would have been perfect, I think she's in a hard place. She's toured the old stuff for ages and according to some reports has started seeming bored with some of it. I think havign a new CD and new stuff to sing--no matter what you think of the material--rubbed off on her performances of the older hits too--she never seemed to be phoning the old numbers in. It's true that she does do the same old numbers over and over--but I bet casual audiences would get pretty mad if she left off Mac Park or Hot Stuff. In the mid 90s she was briefly doing Spring Affair/Summer Fever again, which I'd kill for.

Also comparing the set list with past tours, she added to the set list more than subtracted. She has done a few surprise old numbers but not too many--her last tour was basically the same old hits as we got this time, plus I Love You on some dates (which I'd love ot hear), Could it Be Magic and on some dates, surprisingly, Cold Love (another i'd love to hear). Otherwise the concert was shorter than the current one and filled out with her doing covers of songs she hadn't recorded. I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't think the new material necesarily replaced much old stuff--and this is the longest, most detailed concert tour she's done in a while. She knows most in the audience just want to hear her sing the old stuff--that said I noticed a lot of people buying the new CD after the show, and I suspecty a good majority simply hadn't even heard the new cd.

It's not quite a Madonna situation where Madge refuses to sing most of her old hits, focusing her tours on eahc new album--but DOnna hasn't had anythign to promote since 91's Mistaken Identity really (an album I'd rather forget about), so... It's understandable

[needlefingers]

Here's a link to a very good review to her show last night at The Hollywood Bowl.

Entertainment: Donna Summer delights with disco and more - OCRegister.com

[remicks]

******

thanks for the link needlefingers.




Donna Summer at the Hollywood Bowl, Aug. 22, 2008

Here's the night's playlist from that link :


First set:

Overture (instrumental) /

The Queen Is Back /
I Feel Love /
Dim All the Lights /
I’m a Fire /
Sand on My Feet /
On the Radio/
Mr. Music /
Crayons


(Intermission)


Second set:

No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) /
MacArthur Park /
Bring Down the Reign /
Stamp Your Feet /
Slide Over Backwards /
Selah (sung by backing vocalist Mary Bernard) /
She Works Hard for the Money /
Bad Girls /
Hot Stuff

Encore:

Fame (The Game) /
Last Dance

from
Entertainment: Donna Summer delights with disco and more - OCRegister.com



----With that voice , with that repertoire, A Donna Summer concert is never going to be less than sensational . I really debated trying to attend this one but I was dreading the amount of new material she would do . Each one of those songs she performs displaces something else you understand.

The one song on there this round I would have gotten an extra kick from though would've been NO MORE TEARS .



*****

[EricHG23]

"Each one of those songs she performs displaces something else you understand."

Ya know, I'd argue that (and I think I have tried to already LOL). This was her longest concert by far in years and she didn't do shorter versions of the hits, or anything--in fact she hasn't done I Feel Love on its own in a long time. The past tour she did do a few surprises I woulda loved--Once Upon a Time mixed with Could it Be Magic, and I Love You from OUAT at early venues, and Cold Love, but otherwise *nothing* was cut of her old repertoire--there's a lot sadly she doesn't perform anymore, new songs or not. Instead the concert was fleshed out, and cover songs (last tour she did a Beatles song, Nights in White Satin, Natural Woman, *and* Pearls) were cut.

I also think having new original material--whatever you think of it--helped to get her excited about doing the old stuff again.

[Dansez!]

Originally Posted by keefelc

I'm so glad you mentioned the sound mix of the Donna's vocals, Dansez! I thought it was my imagination so I didn't say anything. I know I've been to shows at the Paramount Theatre where the performer's vocals sounded just terrific, so I know it wasn't the acoustics at the theatre. What was the sound engineer thinking???

Jerry Bonham, who went to the concert with us, said it best when he said, "I want to hear her sing the old stuff!" I also noticed she seems to always sing the same "older" songs over and over. Maybe after seeing how well people responded to "Dim All The Lights," she'll be motivated to add some different songs from her early catalog!

I have seen shows before at the Paramount too and I agree that it must have been the sound engineers.

Jerry Bonham was there?! He is the best! I have been to the last 2 Trocadero parties and his mixing skills are brilliant. I am very excited about this next party!

[Mr.Ree]

isn't it a bit unusual for an artist to do so many songs from their current release in concert? Back in my concert days, most artists would usually do around 2 songs from their current recordings, figuring that the audience wanted to hear mostly songs they were familiar with. I remember in an interview, Stevie Nicks sounded very frustrated with that situation. She said something to the effect of "you know you can only do 2 or so new songs in concert or the audience gets restless". This implied to me that some artists would rather do a lot more new songs when they perform live.....