Michael Buble', Naturally 7 Toyota Center October 20, 2013
As far as I can tell, there really is no good reason to skip a Michael Buble' concert if you have the opportunity to see one. Sunday night's show at Toyota Center was packed-full of energy, performance and more importantly, top-quality music. Those who were there left feeling good.
Toyota Center was packed with Buble' fans who all started screaming like teenagers when he took the stage, opening with the classic "Fever." His dramatic opening -- with banging drums, fire, and a full slide down the stage -- was ridiculously sensational, which is what Buble' fans want. He takes the audience back to the days of Vegas sensuality and "cool," and he does it with effortless panache.
So who is Michael Buble'? He is a natural-born performer, and it's clear he's always been a showman. Buble' is like that one guy in your high-school theater troupe who was straight and kinda cute and got all the chicks. He's cocky and funny and man, does he put on a show. He calls the audience "beautiful boys and girls" and talks with the cadence of a 1960s crooner.
Buble' is absolutely amazing at engaging with the crowd, and certainly knows his audience. Between the first two songs, he made some jokes about being at the office and using the copy machine. He went into the crowd and took pictures, sung someone a birthday song, and let a young audience member sing a few bars of "Home." Watching Buble' is like being at The Copa Room in The Sands in 1965. It's not just great music; it's a performance.
He's a little like the older crowd's Justin Bieber, and he knows it. What makes this even more hilarious is that Buble' made fun of Bieber for several minutes. It was like watching Deanie at a Roast. He is cocky and wonderful. But alas, the Bubliebers were ready for more music.
Buble' followed his follies with "Just Haven't Met You Yet," a Top 40 hit, and then an impeccable version of Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness." He followed with the Sinatra classic "You Make Me Feel So Young," but his cover of "Moondance" was a bit too smarmy for my taste. "Dance with Me," came next, then crowd favorite "Feelin' Good."
Meanwhile, the background visuals fluctuated from Art Deco stylings in the throwbacks to ornate chandeliers and constellations during love songs, as the set list jumped from classics to standards to covers to singles. This is part of his appeal: he can sing absolutely anything, which is what causes all generations to love him.
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