Corrine Bailey Rae - La Zona Rosa - August 14, 2010

One Saturday, we decided last minute to attend the Corrine Bailey Rae show that evening. We'd never seen her live; and, that made up for the slightly painful price of the tickets. We parked on Congress for dinner and then walked the few short blocks over to the La Zona Rosa, located near the Royal Blue Grocery and Johnny Mellow Bike Shop. La Zone Rosa is certainly nothing spectacular. It is a bare room with a stage in one corner. Admission is general, standing room only. That didn't seem too terrible when we first walked in. However, after standing through the opening act of Dan Dyer, my legs were already tired! In addition, the air conditioning was weak; and, the ceiling fans did little to cool the audience. Definitely not the venue for the occasional live music attendee.

Wonderfully, Corinne Bailey Rae and her band were amazing! I had not expected such a large voice to be coming from such a tiny woman. Corrine's voice slid and modulated up and down the scale, resolving into melodic phrases. She was pensive and joyful, quiet then projecting loudly. Whether playing guitar or tapping a tambourine, Corinne exuded endless energy. Her slender hips would be swaying to the beat one minute; then, she would be jamming out with the guitarist, pianist or drummer the next. Corinne's band were strong musicians in their own right; and, each had a chance to shine through riffs. Corinne started with the songs from her new album. Near the end, she started playing her well-known singles - "Like A Star" and "Put Your Records On".

If you get a chance to see Corinne Bailey Rae, I highly recommend going.