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Girls
of Summer - Part I:
Jewel
of the Night
A
Special Series by Rock n World's Debbie Seagle
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Rags to
riches story Jewel Kilcher, (known to several million of her closest friends
as just "Jewel") is currently touring the US in support of her sophomore
release "Spirit." In tow was her good friend
(and ex-squeeze), singer/song writer Steve Poltz. If that name doesn't
sound familiar to you, picture Jewel's video "You Were Meant For
Me," and the sexy pajama clad
object of her affection - Steve Poltz. Poltz played a very simple,
acoustic set that lasted 45 minutes and included original songs from his
solo album, "One Left Shoe." He also stayed
around for Jewel's set, providing acoustic back up and vocals.
The
next two hours of the night belonged to Jewel. From the moment she
slinked onto the stage in form fitting leather pants, gauntlets and tank
top until the time she
bid everyone good night, she held the audience firmly in her grip.
If you have never seen a live Jewel performance, you might assume it would
be a sedate hippie love in. But without benefit of love beads or a VW mini
bus, she entered the night with a sultriness and maturity that her studio
work does not reflect. Under a full moon at Coors Amphitheatre in
San Diego, CA, her vocal range was showcased as she rolled through older
hits such as "Foolish Games," "You Were Meant
 For
Me" and "Who Will Save Your Soul," as well as the newer singles "Barcelona,"
"Down So Long" and "Hands." At times her voice sounded like the flick
of a fingernail against crystal glassware, and at others she morphed into
a diet version of Janis Joplin. To accent her different performance
styles and personas, she would end selected songs with a lilting, adolescent
"thank you!" whispered into her mic.
The
majority of the nearly two hour show is an up beat folk rock concert, Jewel
playing acoustic guitar
 and
her touring band providing an electric frame around her. She told
the stories of how she met Steve Poltz when she was a waitress at Java
Joe's in Ocean Beach, CA and he was "this cute singer at the coffee house
where she worked." She also talked about her recent tour of Europe
and how glad she was to be home. Towards the end of the show, Jewel
asked the audience to come down to the front of the stage "Gently" and
she performed her encore alone, with her acoustic guitar and a few thousand
friends. Okay, so there weren't any love beads or VW mini buses.
But the vibe was very groovy . . .
All
Photo's by Debbie Seagle.
Debbie
is the Associate Editor of RocknWorld.com |
