Vanessa Carlton - Awesome Fun

Went to see Vanessa Carlton in concert tonight – it was rescheduled form earlier and it was really good. The two opening acts were awesome and local: Andrew Holtz www.andrewholtz.com and Nicole Atkins www.nicoleatkins.com (who I got to meet and had her sign my CD – Julie Rules! Oh yeah : )

Both singers were without their bands, they both had the stage dark except a microphone center stage, then they came out with their acoustic guitar and proceeded to just sing and play. I liked the mix of the two and found the songs to be great and I would see both of them again.

Then Vanessa came out – she had two pianos – the grand and a calliope type one (which she only used for two songs which was a bummer). She said since this was a make-up she'd do something a little different and do like a VH-1 Storyteller's Café but with out VH-1 – and she did.

She told a story about almost every song and did a lot of old stuff and even stuff she had not really done before. She had cool stories about vampires, unicorns, Kenn like guys, psycho switch in women, the little girl she met with cancer and more…. And her dress looked GREAT on her.

Some of the stories and older songs may be because tomorrow she has a bigger show at the Trump marina (which is funny I paid 10 those tickets are 40 – hehe) and she wanted to not do two identical shows in a row.

Her style was great and she was so friendly with the crowd. I sat stage right which was cool – the piano and Vanessa faced actually stage Left – but my view was like looking over her shoulder so I got to see her hands and body as she played, and I could see her face some and she did turn some as she sang.

I liked watching her play better anyways than watching her sing per se.

She closed with A thousand Miles (well she did one song for encore) which I like a lot because really – if you can truly sing that song (or dedicate for those with no music talent – lol) to someone, I mean really feel it and mean it – then you are crushing so hard and care so much and well that is an important person (go check the lyrics if you do not catch the meaning of why I say that about the song). It is one of my faves of hers and yes, I admit, I sang the whole thing along with her (thank god I was sitting by the speakers and no one else was tortured by my warbling) but it is just one of those songs if you have ever felt that way or ever can feel that way…….

She also thanked us for supporting live music and coming out and the like – plus the fact she chose local artists to open was cool too… I like that. Damn just a great show – whee and ha and oh yeah free parking – even better –

And the high school music club sold stuff so that helped them too (concession stuff)

The venue was great (it is actually part of a high school campus in Toms River). This is a good thing since next month I have ticket for Good Charlotte there. Of course the crowd was varied but mainly teeny bopper - teen girls 9some kids as young as 5 or 6) but also older people to high school students. Should be fun seeing the crowd difference for the next concert I have there.

And 94.3 the Point sponsored them – gotta see what pictures they put up on their web site.