By Alexander Sansalone
This past Wednesday Vanessa Carlton stopped by Philadelphia, performing at the World Cafe Live. Carlton has been on tour promoting the release of her newest album Liberman. She has been going full spirit ever since she was discovered by record executive Ahmet Ertegun when she was a teenager. Liberman has a much different depth and emotion than past albums.
photos by Alexander Sansalone
I hadn’t been to World Cafe Live before, so I didn’t know what to expect as far as atmosphere. Approaching the venue, I noted that it shared the same building as Philly’s very own radio station WXPN, my go to station for fresh atmospheric melodies. I admittedly spent the first few minutes of my entrance exploring the station. Like a little kid in a candy shop, I was excited to see the rooms where my cherished road cruising tunes came to life. I then proceeded to the box office to pick up my ticket and headed inside the showroom. I had a standing ticket, but was informed there was one last seat left at a table if I was interested in dining. “Sure. Why not,” I responded. I had the pleasure of joining three young ladies with a front row view of the stage. I ordered the chicken tacos, was brought the fish tacos by mistake. After realizing the error, they brought me the chicken tacos free of charge. I ate both exchanging laughs with my new friends. The night continued to head in a great direction.
The lights dimmed and Carlton’s opener took the stage, Joshua Hyslop. Hyslop is a very talented singer/songwriter from Canada. I didn’t know anything about him prior to his performance, but my new dinner friends gave me the heads up that his sound was “calming & soothing.” Boy, did they hit that nail on the head. Hyslop had an incredible stage presence. Just him, and his acoustic guitar. He talked in-between songs, further explaining in detail how they were written. This talent made his set seem to flow as if it were one big story. He had a quirky sense of humor that made you unsure if you were laughing with him or at him at times. It greatly worked to his advantage making him and his set feel so relatable. His songs told vivid love stories. most of which he was witness to. His duty of setting the mood for the audience in preparation for Carlton’s performance was met the moment he stepped on stage. I encourage you to check out his newest album, In Deepest Blue.
The lights slowly came back on, and the audience returned to their conversations. Waitresses came to tables, taking last minute drink orders. Several minutes later the cafe lights dimmed, and the stage lights returned. Teen girls and middle aged women alike screamed. Vanessa Carlton took the stage joined by her violinist, opening her set with heartfelt piano track “Learning to Fly.” Her silvery voice filled the room as she gracefully play her keyboard.
The stage lights shined on her, revealing her on stage presence. It would have been an epic on stage introduction to her setlist, if not for the gotti candle on her keyboard that blocked her face. I, as well as a quarter of the audience, was so disappointed. She continued to serenade the audience with her passionate voice, hitting every high/low note possible; but we couldn’t see her. I decided to give up my front row seat and relocated to the second level balcony in hopes of a better view. A few moments after I did, Carlton requested a refill of white wine, and a voice in the audience yelled “Could you please move your candle?” Startled, she quickly obliged and apologized for the poor stage setting. The audience then applauded both the moving of the candle, and her refill of white wine. The show was back in business. Carlton continued steering her audience on her journey, face fully visible.
She has a huge heart, and it shows in her performance. Sharing stories behind the songs and the individuals who inspired them. A proud mom and happily married wife, Vanessa Carlton is truly living her dream. The opportunity to tour the country promoting an album she is passionate about is just the cherry on top. She continued to perform her set bouncing from tracks from the new album, as well as flash-backs from her early career. The crowd was moved throughout her set, applauding and cheering whenever they had the chance. After announcing she no longer did encore performances, she played the song that gave her claim to fame “1000 Miles.” There wasn’t a member of the audience not mouthing the words.
With the exception of the candle incident, her set was flawless. I encourage any fan of soulful music to give Vanessa Carlton a listen and check out her newest album Liberman.
