Suzanne Vega @ Flow, Paris, 07 Oct 2016

Suzanne Vega @ Flow, Paris, 07 Oct 2016

 Suzanne Vega est de retour à Paris, cette fois-ci avec un album de nouvelles chansons à paraitre dans quelques jours.

Pour ce concert nous sommes sur  le Flow un bateau amarré sur le quai des Invalides, le bar en terrasse a une vue magnifique sur le pont Alexandre III, le Grand Palais et la Tour Eiffel, la salle située en dessous peu contenir près de 300 personnes assises avec un tout petit balcon rappelant l'Alhambra mais en plus petit. le concert n'affiche pas complet mais la salle est copieusement garnie.

 Suzanne Vega, comme depuis de nombreuses années est accompagnée par Gerry Léonard (ancien guitariste de David Bowie), le concert débute par quelques classiques avant que nous ayons droit à la primeur de quelques nouveaux titres tirés de son nouvel album "Songs from an evening with Carson McCullers" qui doit sortir dans quelques jours ( déjà disponible à la table de merchandising) et qui va faire l'objet d'une comédie Musicale l'année prochaine à New York.

Comme toujours avec Suzanne Vega, pas besoin de grande orchestration et de 50 musiciens sur scène pour faire ressortir la beauté de ses compositions, toutes de grande qualité, l'ajout d'un pianiste viendra tout de même étoffer le son sur quelques titres.

Un concert intimiste devant un parterre d'inconditionnels malheureusement de moins en moins nombreux, à chaque passage les salles se font de plus en plus petites et c'est bien dommage pour une artiste de son talent.

Une fois de plus les absents ont eu tort.

 setlist

Suzanne Vega + Valerie June + Ayo @ Lalala Unplugged Festival @ Théatre de Paris July 08 2014

Suzanne Vega + Valerie June + Ayo @ Lalala Unplugged Festival @ Théatre de Paris July 08 2014

Summer time , there are festivals everywhere, this one in a beautiful theatre where we saw the play "Un singe en hiver" a couple of months ago, Johnny Hallyday played also a special show here with guest Brian Setzer on guitar. The theatre is the property of a French millionaire businessman who owns "Vente privée" website and who is organizing this festival.

Yesterday Keziah Jones played here tonight it's "girls only" with Valerie June, Suzanne Vega & Ayo.

First on stage is Valerie June from Memphis , Tennessee for some blues -folk music, she's on her own on acoustic guitar or banjo with lots of stories to tell between songs. I'm too sure if people could understand everything she said as you can really hear with her thick accent that she's from the deep south telling stories from the deep south... Anyway,  she has a strong high-pitched voice that she probably needs to modulate a bit more.

Overall good show
Valerie June ouvre les débats, seule avec une guitare acoustique pour un set dépouillé gorgé de blues-folk et soul, entre chaque titre nous avons droit a des petites histoires typiques du sud des Etats Unis, la belle est originaire de Memphis, Tennessee, prononcées avec un fort accent sudiste de mama, pas sur que tout le monde a capté toutes les subtilités de ses interventions mais intéréssant.Valérie a une voix haut perché et extremement puissante qui gagnerait à etre modulée un peu plus.
Etonnante transportation dans les bouges d'une amerique sudiste et profonde.

Valerie June

Then we have the "Plat de resistance" with New Yorker Suzanne Vega still playing with Gerry Leonard, when he's not recording secretly with David Bowie, and a drummer (could get his name).

no need to tell you that we only came here for her.
Nice show, as always with Suzanne. She's still promoting the new album so we have 2-3 new songs and the classics of course, see setlist below for details.
Attraction principale de ce festival, la présence de Suzanne Vega qui justifiait à elle seule notre venue. Formation réduite avec Gerry Leonard à la guitare et un batteur sur quelques titres. Pas besoin d'en faire des tonnes quand on a les chansons, un set simple et chaleureux avec quelques compositions issues de son nouvel album.
Une réussite comme toujours.

Suzanne Vega

setlist

Then it's time to make a move to the café nextdoor to watch World Cup semi finals between Brasil vs Germany. WOW !!! hard to believe what we saw in the first half with Germany playing so good and Brazil completely loosing it and playing as If they were a 3rd league team. 5-0 at the end of the first half.
So we went back to the concert to catch a glimpse of Ayo performing, we're not big fan but it was a bit better than expected with her playing acoustic guitar ( and grand piano) with just a guy playing bass on his keyboard or trumpet.

She had the best ovation of the night but a few songs was just good enough for us so we went back to the café enjoying the end of the game with a very impressive mannshchaft , they could have score a couple more times. Unbelievable !!!  

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 Ayo closing the night

Suzanne Vega @ Casino d'Enghien les bains, Oct 19 2012

 Suzanne Vega @ Casino d'Enghien les bains, Oct 19 2012

 Yesterday was MUSE playing to 17000 screaming young fans @ Paris Bercy Arena with a loud sound, lasers and an huge upside down pyramid made of dozens of screens, tonight is the other side of the coin with singer-songwriter playing a cozy small theatre @ Casino d'Enghien les Bains, 10 km on the north of Paris, with just an acoustic guitar and the help of Gerry Leonard on electric guitar.
We wanted to get a drink at the bar before the show, as we bought our tickets at the local box office it provided a free entrance for the casino ( usually they are charging 15 euros just to get in, yes 15 euros to get the right to get rob at gambling machines) but couldn't as those bastards didn't like the way we were dressed up : Vans, designer tee shirt, jeans & leather jacket. Fuck'em they won't get our money.

 Anyway we were there to attend Suzanne Vega's concert, last time we saw her live was at the Théatre Marigny 2 years ago. She's now promoting the Volume 4 of her career spanning Close-Up cd. Made of reworked versions of her songs, mostly acoustic. Gerry Leonard (former David Bowie band) is still playing with her helping out on electric guitar and loops. Unlike Muse, Suzanne doesn't need lasers and screens all over the place to catch the attention of people, simply because she has great songs...and a great sens of humor. The only prop was a topper to look like Marlene Dietrich on some songs. 

No need to tell you that we enjoyed the show a lot, even though we would have like more songs from her "Beauty & Crime" cd.

Great night out.