Ok. Let’s starts the slew of updates with THE CONCERT OF MY YEAR: Adele at the Greek Theater in Berkeley.
If you were there, and read this, holla back, and tell me if I’m lying. This concert was Top 5 of All-Time for me. And I’ve seen a lot of live music.
I’ve seen so much music this year I’ve honestly lost track. But it will be hard for any show to top what Adele was able to pull off at the Greek. For lack of a better, ummm, no wait, that’s not right, well, I’m still speechless. I’ve talked to a couple of friends who went to the show as well, not working it, but just to enjoy it, and they had just as much trouble putting into words how they felt about the concert. I tried my best. Here’s a bit of the review that I filed for the Daily Journal >>
Adele shines bright at Greek Theater
By Julio Lara, Daily Journal Staff
Ten weeks ago, the Bay Area as a whole let out a collective “urgh.” It was then that Adele, the singer-songwriter from England, announced the cancelation of the remaining part of her American tour.
Fans of the international superstar who shelled out a pretty penny to see her perform songs from her critically acclaimed number one album “21” held their breath hoping she would reschedule and return in the near future.
And these same people rejoiced when Adele announced that the long-awaited rendez vous would come Aug. 15 at the Greek Theater in Berkeley.
Well, it took one bar from “Hometown Glory” for the sold-out crowd to collectively freak out and realize one thing: Adele, like all great things in life, was well worth the wait.
All the adjectives you store in your brain to describe something indescribable apply to Adele’s 16-song set under the stars in Berkeley — she was stunning, brilliant, magical and then some. From start to finish, the vocalist was on-point, hitting every single note with surgical precision. There are those artists who sing extremely well, but the list of those that can pierce through your skin, cut through your bones and touch your heart and soul, not just with one song but with their entire catalog, is small.
Yup, the concert was that good. Can’t say enough about it. Playlist of songs is below, all of which were show-stopping numbers, but I have to say my favorites were: 3. Set Fire to the Rain (wow) 2. Don’t You Remember (gave me chills) 1. Someone Like You (almost made me cry, shout out to the fans who took this rendition to another level).
So yeah, I’ll give you one more photo, which were taken by Jo DeGuzman, who came recommended by my boy Matt Maniego (more on him later) and did a great job given the circumstances. One last thing to wrap up, The San Mateo County Times ran a teaser/banner in Friday’s edition which said something to the degree of “There’s going to be a competition this weekend between Katy Perry and Adele, since they’re both performing in the Bay Area this weekend.” I thought about it as I was writing my review and laughed. Katy Perry isn’t good enough to carry Adele’s microphone.
