Member Since: 9/7/2010
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Vogue: Lana Del Rey Takes Manhattan (concert review)
Quote:
She’ll Take Manhattan:
Lana Del Rey’s First New York Concert
by Freddie Campion
As you would imagine, then, the atmosphere before her first concert in New York City at the Bowery Ballroom last night was one of palpable anticipation. The concert sold out almost as soon as it was announced (with tickets on eBay yesterday afternoon going for hundreds of dollars more than the listing price) and even before she took the stage, gaggles of Lana-alikes (with matching auburn locks and homemade crowns of plastic flowers in their hair) could be seen winding their way through the audience, shooting onlookers Del Rey’s trademark glower as they posed for photographs.
When you consider Grant’s fascination with celebrity and faded Hollywood tragedy, you could say the controversy that has followed the Lana Del Rey phenomenon is a rather apt rejoinder. But forgetting the general hullabaloo for a second, what is Lana Del Rey really about?
If Grant proved anything last night, it’s that few songwriters possess her knack for epic, scene-setting melodies, and genuinely affecting lyrics. Take the line “You were sorta punk rock, I grew up on hip-hop,” from “Blue Jeans” (the B-side to “Video Games”), for instance, and its wonderfully indulgent retort: “But you fit me better than my favorite sweater.” Something about her sultry delivery—half-hugging herself with one hand, as she hangs off the microphone stand with the other—perfectly sums up the Bonnie and Clyde interpretation of romance she sells so well. Every song feels like it’s from the second act of some True Romance–style caper, in which two ill-fated lovers are at their most doomed. Suddenly, the idea of a failed indie starlet who’s returned with a new identity (and buckets of pathos) to play a prank on the industry that once snubbed her is a ruse you want to be a part of.
Not only that; live, the elasticity of her voice is nothing but remarkable. In one song in particular, “Million Dollar Man,” she effortlessly moved between breathy jazz numbers, operatic falsettos, and whispering, sex-kitten murmurs with acute theatricality and in a way that YouTube would never be able to do justice.
Grant’s indifference toward the music industry, when combined with the general skepticism of the blogosphere, was always going to be a recipe for sparks. But while some are suggesting she’s long outstayed her welcome, judging from last night’s performance, Lana Del Rey’s time in the spotlight is only just beginning.
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Full article here: http://www.vogue.com/culture/article...-york-concert/
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#deal
, but it was sold out months in advance anyways