I was in need of a night out and thanks to a very generous friend, I received tickets to see Natalie Merchant in concertwith a full symphony orchestra at the Florida Theatre. (She was formerly with 10,000 Maniacs, way back in the day.) I’m the first to admit that I don’t know a ton of her songs, but the ones I do – I love, so I was very excited to see this show.
My friend and I such a great time at the concert. I’ve never seen anyone sing with such emotion before – it was as if you could feel every word she sang – the passion was oozing from her and the audience loved every minute of it. (No photography was allowed during the show, but I took the one above during intermission.)
The Florida Theatre is one of the most historic theatres in the state of Florida. In 1956, Elvis Presley performed at the theatre, the concert was billed as one of his first indoor concert appearances. The concert received national recognition as a local juvenile court judge sat through the performance to ensure that Presley’s body movements would not become too suggestive.
Ever since last night’s show, I’ve found my self listening to all of Natalie Merchant’s music on Spotify. It’s interesting to go back and listen to the original versions of the songs she performed with the symphony. I have a newfound respect for her and her music. And when/if she comes to town again, I’ll be read to buy my tickets.
