Last evening, Marilyn and I toddled on out the the new Events Center at Robert Morris University to attend a concert given by singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles. She is currently on tour to promote her latest album (do they still call them albums?) "Amidst the Chaos".
I admit that I came in rather late to the Sara Bareilles party. Bareilles, who will turn forty next month, released her breakthrough album, "Little Voice", in 2007, and has been a rather big star ever since, but I did not really become aware of her until our great friend, the late Bill Montrose, told me about her and the Broadway musical "Waitress" that she had written and that premiered on B'way in 2016. Since then, I became a fan, and when it was announced that she would be among the first concert acts at the new RMU Center, we made sure that we would be there.
She certainly did not disappoint. She performed for close to two hours before the sold out crowd at RMU. She gave us all of the songs from Amidst The Chaos, as well and several of her older hits, and a series of four songs from "Waitress", including its beautiful Eleven O'clock Number, "She Used To Be Mine." She was also very personable and friendly in speaking and interacting with the crowd, and, of course, it goes without saying that she has a beautiful singing voice. She was backed by a seven piece band and the staging and lighting for the show was great.
The new Events Center at RMU passed the test with me as a concert venue. It's a small arena, seating about 4,400, so Elton John and Taylor Swift won't be performing there, but the size of the place lent it a degree of intimacy that was perfect for a performer like Ms. Bareilles.
The Grandstander rates this as a Three and One-Half Star night.
I will close with this video of Sara Bareilles from performing her anthemic song "Brave" before a live audience back in 2013. Her performance of this one last night was one of many highlights of the night.
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