Sade At The Erwin Center [Review]

Image from Karmacamilleeon on Flickr

You go to a stadium show knowing that what you're losing in acoustic clarity you may gain in spectacle. And with a band/person as salty and road-worn as Sade, it was a good bet that their show at the Erwin Center on Wednesday evening was going to unwind with no small amount of professionalism and confidence. What we didn't expect, however, was the warmth and the pleasure both the artist and the audience seemed to take from this long-delayed return to Austin.

Opener John Legend's relatively young career is still similar to Sade's in some respects, as they both mine a classic and instrumentation-heavy (in lieu of heavy synths and drum machines) form of soul music. Legend entered the stage after his full band went into action, resulting in both applause and titters from the more smitten-by-handsome members of the audience. His voice and the solid thump of a bass drum announced his cover of Adele's “Rolling in the Deep," though he quickly transitioned out of that one into his own discography, losing his suit jacket not long thereafter to, again, no small amount of hoots. Though the stage was full up with backup dancers, guitars, bass, drums, and a horn section, it's arguable that the best sounding moments occurred when Legend took to his piano with minimal accompaniment. A new song, “Dreams,” was wonderful, and a performance of 2004 hit “Ordinary People” was another stand out.

Due to stage delays, Legend didn't get on stage until 8:30. “I've never been to a concert that started an hour late, and I've seen Seal,” said some wizened folks behind us on the floor. But the wait was worth it, when Sade and her band arose from the bottom of the stage to the thunderous beat of last year's “Soldier of Love,” as the curtains split to reveal a much larger stage set complete with backing videos and, later, unspooling red curtains and fluttering paper released from the rafters. But as befitting their sound, the performance was big but still restrained, and the sound in the very large room benefited from the small band - Sade's group had two backup singers to Legend's three, and no horn section (though Stuart Matthewman turn at the saxophone was always captivating). In a more direct, less cluttered way, the group was able to communicate very clearly. “Your Love Is King” came next, and Sade dedicated the song to the audience.

A theme of light noir permeated the show, balanced by more revealing moments - including a video cut from early footage of the band touring behind a young record. Sade herself was playful and in step, and her voice sounded as good as we could have imagined. The audience reciprocated by - almost en masse - staying with Sade until the last notes of her encore faded and it was 12:30 and time to go home. Not every band can make a stadium show work, but when big visuals are balanced by a great band that doesn't really sound like anything else, well, it's worth maybe a parking headache or the noisy neighbors behind you.

Sade: [official]
John Legend: [official]