November 02, 2010

Publication title: Dallas News, vol. -, Iss. -, pg. –
Place: Dallas
Writer: Mario Tarradell

Concert review: Sarah McLachlan at Verizon Theatre

The stage looked like a stylish living room with three chandeliers and a backdrop of lacy, silky curtains. The lighting was hues of mauve, gold and red. Sarah McLachlan, the star attraction, pulled audience questions out of a hat. Each answer prompted some quirky story that led to laughter.

The two women in her band, Melissa McClelland and Butterfly Boucher, got main mike time. Each sang four songs.

So McLachlan’s intimate show Monday night for an appreciative crowd at Verizon Theatre never really felt like a concert. Even the 20-minute intermission played like she was allowing her guests to mingle for a spell.

The revered Canadian singer-songwriter was personable, engaging and in great voice during two-and-a-half hours of stage time. This was the first gig on the tour promoting Laws of Illusion, McLachlan’s enthralling new disc. It’s also the trek following the less-than-stellar Lilith Fair summer festival that suffered poor ticket sales. Ten dates were scrapped, including an August stop at Dallas’ Superpages.com Center.

This was the better way to experience McLachlan. She gave Laws of Illusion plenty of attention, cranking up her six-member band for crackling renditions of “Loving You Is Easy” and “Illusions of Bliss.” Then, she took to the piano for beautiful takes on “U Want Me 2” and “Forgiveness.”

McLachlan’s phrasing, the way she caresses notes and then pounces on them for emotional impact, turned the staples “Sweet Surrender,” “I Will Remember You” and “Ice Cream” into mini manifestos.

The vocal stunner of the night was “Angel.” It commenced the encore with only McLachlan, Boucher and McClelland onstage. Reinforcing the female power message prevalent in Lilith Fair, the women created a wall of voices that sent the song to the heavens.