Jewel's yodels, preens to spice bland show 8/8/99
By David Lindquist, Star/News Staff Writer; JEWEL (THREE STARS out of FOUR)
(Star ratings: 4 excellent, 3 good, 2 fair, 1 poor)
As girl with acoustic guitar, Jewel doesn't have it easy when she takes
her introspective ballads to large outdoor amphitheaters such as Deer
Creek Music Center.
To keep the 7,869 concertgoers in tune with her Saturday night, Jewel
sprinkled her performance with some Italian opera, some scat singing and
some yodeling.
These diversions helped combat the snooze factor, but an aura of mellow
sameness enveloped the concert - despite the 25-year-old's immense vocal
talents.
Interplay between Jewel and guitarist/ex-beau Steve Poltz provided the
evening's liveliest moments. Jewel co-wrote the smash hit I Was Meant for
You with Poltz, who was given a chance to sing more masculine lyrics
during the tune's opening segment.
The pair followed I Was Meant for You with a cheek-to-cheek,
tight-harmony duet of I Thought I Saw You Last Night.
Earlier, Jewel grouped the first three songs of current album Spirit to
nice effect. Deep Water, What's Simple Is True and Hands include
optimistic truisms such as "It's nothing without love" and "In the end,
only kindness matters."
Hit single Hands rocked the hardest, with Jewel's band stepping beyond
its New Age arrangements for a stab at Neil Young territory. Call it
"Crazy Horse lite."
Dressed in black pants and navel-exposing dress shirt, Jewel expertly
preened and pouted for cameras projecting close-ups on a large video
screen at the back of the stage.
During a 30-minute performance as solo supporting act, Poltz (3 stars)
did a fine job of transforming big-league venue Deer Creek into a cozy
coffee-house setting.
As boy with acoustic guitar, Poltz applies a brave wit to tunes equally
influenced by Elvis Costello and Tom Waits.
He had the crowd with him when he sang about the ABC's of love, Krispy
Kreme and losing a girl to "that Gold's Gym guy."
As jam-oriented opening act, underappreciated Rusted Root (3-1/2 stars)
packed an array of sonic textures into its hourlong global hoe-down.
Closely cropped vocalist Michael Glabicki guided his Pittsburgh sextet
through fiery, melodic and dance-friendly material that's always
well-received in Indianapolis.
Near the end of Rusted Root's set, five band members participated in a
storming, freestyle percussion interlude powerful enough to bring rain.
In some alternate universe, Rusted Root sells out 20,000-seat venues
while the Dave Matthews Band struggles to find work.
SETLIST:
Near You Always
Deep Water
What's Simple Is True
Hands
Jupiter
some italian opera song (she said the title, but I don't know what it is)
You Were Meant For Me (Poltz got to sing his masculine line)
I Thought I Saw You Last Night
Don't
Everything Breaks Sometimes
Too Darn Hot
Barcelona
Life Uncommon
Foolish Games
Down So Long
Down
Love Me Just Leave Me Alone
Who Will Save Your Soul
ENCORE:
Absence of Fear
(wanted to read poetry, but no one had a book handy)
Summertime
 
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