Oh What a World

What better way to top off my Halloween than to see Rufus Wainwright in concert? My concert-going buddies and I anticipated many more drag queens and people in costume than we actually witnessed, but that didn't matter. Rufus put on one hell of a show, and in terms of performance and bang-for-your-buck, it may have topped my list for 9:30 concert of the year.

OK Go was the opening band, and they really did a terrific job of warming everybody up for the main act. They do some great indie power-pop, sometimes gritty, other times light and fun, but most of the time catchy (as on "You're So Damn Hot," which they dedicated to Rufus). The highlight was definitely their last number, when lead singer Damien Kulash admitted the reason why Rufus picked them as the opening act was for their dance skills. He then announced something to the effect of "At the end of the day, it's all about selling CDs. They're back there and you can buy them. Instead of performing our single, we're going to play it right off the CD and dance to it." This seemed a bit odd at first, but then I realized OK Go has become known for this closing dance number. I won't try to describe it for you, but it was amazingly entertaining. And to give Kulash credit, it really did make me want to buy their CD. Lucky for you, the video of the "A Million Ways" dance can be played off their website.

After getting energized by OK Go, the crowd was pumped and ready for our man Rufus, who--even without his music-- never fails to entertain. This was Rufus's first of only five U.S. shows before he heads up to Canada and then Europe, so it was quite a treat to be able to see him. I was particularly excited to see how he would be with a big band, since the last two times I'd seen him he was solo on his piano/guitar. For one, I knew we could expect to hear a lot more off Want One (DreamWorks, 2003), which is definitely one of my favorite discs.

Rufus opened with "Oh What a World," which ended up being one of eight songs he performed off Want One. When he launched into "Natasha," I immediately got that warm and fuzzy feeling inside from hearing his incredible voice. Rufus is truly one of the best vocalists out there and probably my personal favorite. His classical music training has really made him an incredible talent, and his voice can fill up the corners of any room.

Admittedly, Rufus was still a little rusty from not having been on tour in a while, and he struggled to hit some high notes which he's had trouble with in the past ("Go or Go ahead"). On "Vibrate" he even beckoned the crowd to sing a verse along with him. Other highlights were old favorites "Poses" and his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." I also enjoyed hearing a jazzy/funky version of "The Art Teacher," one of my favorite tunes off Want Two (Geffen, 2004).

By far, though, the talk of last night's show was Rufus's theatrical performance toward the end of the show. During the instrumental section of "Old Whore's Diet," Rufus and his band ran off the stage and reappeared in white choir robes and performed a choreographed dance (no doubt inspired by Ok Go, to whom Rufus dedicated the song). They segued this directly into "Gay Messiah," which began with two roman guards carrying a huge white cross onto the stage. Rufus de-robed to reveal a turquoise toga/dress, and the guards placed a gold crown of thorns on his head, along with a glittery facemask and lipstick. This was certain to be the night's point of debate, as Rufus walked a fine line between blasphemy and pure entertainment. I definitely love Rufus for his ability to always shock and surprise us, that's for sure.

After all was said and done, Rufus performed for 2 hours and the crowd seemed extremely pleased and in absolute awe of him (and he seemed equally grateful). In my personal opinion, Rufus is truly one of the best live acts out there, if only for his ability to command the stage and transfix the crowd. He's one of those rare acts that I enjoy watching as much as listening. It's his mannerisms, his quirks, his charisma, and ultimately the idea that I can see the words he sings as they so effortlessly come out of his mouth.


Finally, if I kept your interest up til this point, here are some samplers of my favorite songs:

Poses (Poses)
A heart-wrenching ballad that illustrates Rufus's incredible songwriting and contains one of my favorite lyrics: Life is a game and true love is a trophy.

Go or Go Ahead (Want One)
Starts off with Rufus and guitar, but slowly builds to a fantastic crescendo and full-band theatrics for the chorus.

The Art Teacher (Want Two)
Beautiful song showcasing Rufus's voice. Featuring only Rufus on piano with a lovely french horn solo in the middle of the piece.