Pink becomes the real show
Staples Center, Los Angeles, September 19, 2009
Reviewed by Dan MacIntosh
If the recession has hit the concert business hard, there was little evidence of such troubles during Pink's concert. Her circus-themed show featured dancers, high wire acrobats and a colorfully decorated stage. However, Pink's eclectic taste in music would have gone over well, whether she was performing extravagantly or on a stripped down stage. In the end, Pink was the real show.
Is she a dance music diva? Well, early single, Get the Party Started, which actually helped close tonight's party, and Funhouse, which arrived midway through, strongly support the case for the dance music classification.
But the guitar-driven Trouble, if looked at in isolation, might lead you to believe this is a raspy-voiced hard rocker, instead. Furthermore, her snotty vocal on So What could give Joan Jett a run for her money. Along the way, Pink also performed credible versions of Led Zeppelin's Babe I'm Gonna Leave You and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, which certainly pleased any incognito classic rockers in the house. It should also be noted that Pink's excellent band - which included a violinist, as well as the standard drums, guitar, bass and keyboards - created nearly an exact onstage replica of the original epic recording. Even Queen never pulled that one off.
Pink also quieted the whole carnival atmosphere down for a few acoustic songs, which she performed both at the end of the stage, as well as at the tip of a long ramp extended into the floor seat section. Although her performance of Dear Mr. President was heartfelt, the accompanying onscreen video images of George W. Bush came off dated - especially this far into the Obama administration. Its pro-gay lines received extremely loud cheers, as there was a large homosexual contingent in the crowd.
Opening the evening were England's The Ting Tings, who were a little disappointing. They may take the stage looking like a role-reversed The White Stripes, but this guitar-drums duo was also augmented on every song with pre-recorded music. Granted, The Ting Ting's songs, like Shut Up and Let Me Go and That's Not My Name are distinctly dance-oriented, not blues-based (as are The White Stripes songs).
But if Jack and Meg can pull it off live, why can't The Ting Tings? Well, this DIY inability is probably because vocalist Katie White is primarily just a rhythm guitarist, while Jack White is a real life guitar hero. However, White (The Ting Ting's White, that is) is an entertaining performer, as she spent her short time on stage bouncing around and singing with pleasing spunk.
