Sade, live…
I don’t go to many concerts nowadays. The tickets are so damned expensive and I’ve begun to pick and choose which artists I would pay money to see live. I would barter away my first born for tickets to a Jill Scott concert. The same would apply to Prince and perhaps Jay and/or Kanye, but there are few others that I would place on the list.
Sade has firmly earned her place on my list. Let me tell you why.
When I heard that Sade was going to be in Kansas City, I was ecstatic. That is, until I saw the ticket prices. My heart sank when I realized that I would have to probably stand on the corner and turn a few tricks in order to afford the ticket to see Sade live. And seeing as how I’m not about that life, I resigned to not going. Lo and behold, my SisterFriend sent me a text about a week before the concert, telling me that they lowered some of the ticket prices and we could go! Excellent…I’m all in.
Fast forward to July 26th, the night of the concert. My SisterFriend and I are all dolled up, looking fine, and we head down to the Power and Light District. Our plan is to have dinner then walk the block or so to Sprint Center. We decide to dine at 801 Chop House, an excellent steakhouse. We look at the menus and decide to go all out, make it a night, and order the lobster. That one pound lobster, filled with a crab meat stuffing, was the best damn lobster I have ever ate. We both ordered a martini, The Jamaican, that had us instantly tipsy (apparently, neither of us can hold our liquor). After our meal, we set out, full but not too full, to the Sprint Center.
There was a line, but it moved rapidly. We walked through the metal detectors and had our purses groped, then headed up the escalator to our section, 121. We made a stop at the ladies’ room, purchased glasses of wine, and retreated to our seats. We only had to wait about 10-15 minutes before the lights went out and the stage lit up, introducing John Legend.
I’ve seen John Legend in concert before, so it was a welcome reminder of why I love him. He opened with his interpretation of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep, which was excellent. JL moved seamlessly between the songs in his set, showing off his piano skills and beautiful set of pipes. I enjoyed it, but I really wanted to see Sade. So I patiently, and enthusiastically, waited.
After JL finished, and the lights came back up for intermission, there was a mass exodus to procure food and drink. Once again, the lights went down and the stage went black. Suddenly there was a single white light beaming up out of the floor, and Sade slowly walked up onto the stage, singing. I can’t remember what she started out with; all I know is that my soul began to soar. I was taken away by the music.
Sade’s show is an experience. Her stage design, with the lighting and placement of her band, is simple, classic. I found myself speechless at the images I witnessed…it really was fabulous, so much so that I can’t even put into words. You had to be there, I guess.
When she got to “Is It A Crime”, as everyone else bounced to their feet, I sat there and let that song wash over me. I have a special connection with this song, as I do the other music that I hold close to me, and hearing it live proved to be almost orgasmic. Almost.
Soon after our evening was over and we headed out of the arena and back to the car. My SisterFriend and I both agreed that it was one of the best shows we had ever seen and that Sade was classy and timeless. There is such a simplistic beauty about her and her music…I could only be thankful that I am here to consume it.
This was a concert that both my SisterFriend and I needed. We needed to escape for a moment. We needed to live inside of the notes and piano keys and orchestration. We needed to be taken on a musical journey.
We got that…and more.
My love is wider, wider than Victoria Lake,
~ M
