Showcase: Emeli Sande @ Bootleg Theatre (04/18/12)

European Import Emeli Sandé ‘bootlegged’ into LA for a special intimate showcase, #afterthebreak…

Emeli Sandé Intimate Acoustic Show at The Bootleg Bar

Westlake, CA

04/18/12

Three Word Review:  Chills. Chills. Chills.

The minute I heard Professor Green‘s “Read All About It“, my fate was sealed.   Knew one day that I would find myself in a room with the hauntingly beautiful Adele Emeli Sandé.  The woman behind the song’s hook.  Just a matter of time till I was consumed by the siren’s call.  And the time stopped last night as I visited her special intimate acoustic showcase at The Bootleg.  Fitting name.  Like to think her team smuggled her through the backdoor of Hollywood.  Performing at shady pirate bar in Westlake, cloaked in all black, to the gaze of random wanderers & outcasts.  In a sense, we were ‘Breaking The Law” and loving every minute.

Like a mixture of Adele, Janelle Monae, & Leona Lewis, Emeli is a member of those amazing female British sirens that have risen in the music world.  And her resume is growing day by day.  Ms. Sandé‘s debut record —Our Version of Events — went Platinum in the UK, with the US release date slowly approaching on June 5th.  She’s tour all over Europe and last year she opened for Coldplay.  From this author POV, she’s conquered Europe and now this ‘Taurus‘ has her eyes on the USA.  Watch out for the horns.

The short set was composed of 6 stand out LP tracks and her rendition of Coldplay‘s “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” came across beautifully.  The cellist was a nice touch.  Complemented the acoustic guitar and drums.  Pity her overpowering voice overshadowed everything the room.  Even made us all go silent.  To combat this, she spoke to us– explaining the track meaning, touching on the history and significant bond in her own life.  One thing Emeli wasn’t expecting was all of us lip singing the lyrics.  She couldn’t help but smile.  Somedays, I have to remind myself that music has no boarders.  Especially nowadays.

Breaking the Law gave me the most chills.  Just a guitar and her voice.  Damn.   

If I had to state one minor…super minor…complaint, is that I didn’t get to hear “Read All About It” perform live.  One of the other patrons felt the same way at the showcase’s conclusion.  In response, she just smiled.  All the more reason to look forward to the next one!  Even if this was my last show with Ms. Sandé, I feel complete.  She was everything I expected and more.  Plus, the gritty dwelling made it feel even more raw.  I’d take a venue like The Bootleg over Staples any day.

That’s all I got.  Watch Emeli Sandé make her american TV debut on Conan tonight!  Recap in the morning.  Big shout out to Ms. Sandé & The Bootleg for making us at the forefront of your American takeover  The media below is our gifts to you.

More Adventures to come…

-J

Bored 4 Music

—

Set List [no order]:

1. Heaven
2. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall (Coldplay Cover)
3. Daddy
4. Clown
5. Next To Me
6. Breaking The Law
7. My Kind of Love?

—

:Photographer’s Notes:

Challenge:  See if you can spot difference between my two cameras.

Considering how dark the venue was, I’m surprised I got any shots of Ms. Sandé.  Shows you the sheer power of the Canon Powershot S100’s processor.  Kept everything on ‘Auto’, which was a mistake.  After all our 2012 events, still haven’t mastered S100.  That’s the goal before Stagecoach.

==Picture Selects==