I can’t start this review without saying what an amazing live venue the Waite Park Amphitheatre is. I would go on record saying it is the nicest outdoor amphitheater we have in the state of Minnesota. It’s located right next to Saint cloud which is about a little over an hour northwest of the Twin Cities. If you see an artist on their schedule that you love, I can’t encourage you strongly enough to attend a show there. It was an amazing experience and you won’t regret it.
Full disclosure, I am a huge Sheryl Crow fan and have been since her second record. When her first album came out and the single hit “All I Wanna Do”, I have to say I was less than impressed. You may ask yourself why would I start out with a review like that? The reason is because if I didn’t continue to give her a chance, I would have missed three decades of incredible music. The first single off her second record “If It Makes You Happy” was released, and at that point from then on I was all in! It’s a great lesson for me and hopefully for you reading this that you shouldn’t give up on an artist based on one song.
I don’t say this very often, but I think Sheryl Crow is a musical treasure. She has an incredible ability to continue to write songs that resonate with the listener. This was the first time I’ve seen her in many years because she doesn’t seem to tour all that much. I’m sure she has her family and other commitments. Perhaps that’s what’s kept her off the road. I’m hoping that now that she’s out again she will realize how much she misses it and we’ll see a lot more of her.
Last night it was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen her do. I guess sit here and complain to you about the set list like most fans do of any artist. But I’d be nitpicking. She did exactly what the fans wanted her to do, play the hits. Although she did add a few deeper tracks. She relied very heavily on her first album. That’s the one thing I would have asked her not to do. I would have loved to have seen some more songs off of her C’mon C’mon album as well as Wildflower. The biggest song of the night by far was “Soak Up the Sun”. it’s a perfect pop song especially for the summer. It has an incredible message just like most of her music. Live your life enjoy the time you have and be present in the moment with your family and your friends. How can you not love a message like that?
There’s a new biography about her life on Showtime that really chronicles her history. She remarked last night that it was something she didn’t want to do but her manager talked her into it. I’m glad that he did because it got her back out on the road again. I’ve read several interviews with her over the years and I get the feeling that she’s like a lot of other artists. Frustrated that when she makes a new record people aren’t hearing it. In this case I think it’s a tragedy because she seems to have so much more to give through her music. I don’t consider her a nostalgia act at all. One of the most incredible things about her music is she’s one of the few artists that you could take anybody to see. Wouldn’t matter if they had never heard a single note of her music, they would walk away a fan and be singing along by the end of the night.
If you get an opportunity to go out and see her, please do. I think that even if you’re not a fan you will be pleasantly surprised. her band is incredible as always. The members seem to change at times but they’re all the best of the best. They did a version last night at The Rolling Stones “Live with Me” that was jaw dropping. My hope is that she will continue to tour even on a semi regular basis. As soon as the show was done I looked up the other tour dates to see if I could sneak away for a day and go see another show. Get out there and see her! She deserves your attention and your respect.
