On October 7, Adele graced the stage of the Air Canada Center for the last of her four sold out shows in Toronto. With no opening act, Adele was sure that every one of the 20 000 audience members came to see her…not that she needed any reaffirmation with over 8 million album sales.
If you thought that in going to this concert you were only going to see a musical performance, you would have been pleasantly mistaken. Not only is Adele one of the most powerful vocalists to date, but she also delivers an unintentional comedic performance. Her self-proclaimed nervous banter between songs makes you feel as though you’re sitting with her in your living room.
After very appropriately opening her show with her hit single “Hello,” Adele immediately started chatting it up with her audience. Asking us questions as to whether we got tickets as a Christmas present or if anyone in the crowd was celebrating an anniversary, Adele expressed how getting to know her audiences helps to relieve stage fright which has held her back from performing in the past. She takes this notion of getting to know her audience a step further that Friday night by inviting a young girl celebrating her 14th birthday to the stage in order meet the star and pose for a ‘selfie’ – a day I imagine the young fan will never forget.
One of the most unique aspects of “Adele Live” is the very real relationship she creates with her audience. Following each track, the house lights in this mass arena are turned on as she jokes about the appropriateness of singing about old exes and recounts memories associated with songs. She pokes fun at her cliché heartbreak albums saying that if it weren’t for her talking in between songs, everyone would leave her concert miserable.
Her setlist included all the hits from 19 to 25 including some hidden gems as well. She made sure to play her popular songs such as “Rolling in the Deep,” sympathizing with the audience as to how unfortunate it is when an artist deliberately doesn’t play their most notable songs in concert. With the exception of her acoustic set, rain-falling “Set Fire to the Rain” performance and confetti filled finale, Adele stands alone at the forefront of a stage with nothing but a microphone in hand. Over the course of this tour, she most definitely solidified her reputation as a world-class entertainer.
It was truly a privilege getting to see Adele in concert prior to her decade-long leave from touring. It saddens me that I will not have the opportunity to see her perform live for so long. We can only hope that during her leave of absence from the stage that she continues to create and release more of her ingeniously timeless music.
Set List: Hello, Hometown Glory, One and Only, Rumour Has It, Water Under the Bridge, Skyfall, Million Years Ago, Don’t You Remember, Make You Feel My Love (Bob Dylan cover), Send My Love (To Your New Lover), Sweetest Devotion, Chasing Pavements, Someone Like You, Set Fire to the Rain
Encore: When We Were Young, Rolling in the Deep
Comments are closed.