I cannot say enough good things about Sheryl Crow. She's a talented songwriter, great singer and very easy on the eyes! Sadly, those attributes don't always come through on the new DVD release "Sheryl Crow Miles From Memphis Live At The Pantages Theatre."
Home video concerts have always been a tough sell because the release has to be good enough for people to sit down in there living room and enjoy a live show from start to finish. How does a performer keep up their energy to get the home audience involved? Is the setlist jam-packed with enough hits? How many cameras are used in order to keep the visuals interesting? Given this criteria, this release is sadly lacking.
On the positive side, Crow is in fine voice and her band sounds great. Unfortunately the energy on screen is not there and I feel that the setlist is to blame. The DVD is billed as "Miles From Memphis" which refers to "100 Miles From Memphis" the title of Crow's most recent CD. Therefore, the setlist ways heavy on this album. In fact, 8 of the the 18 tracks on the DVD are from this album -- way too many to keep the casual fan interested for at-home viewing. That might fly if you are at the concert, enjoying the vibe of the show and feeding off the energy of the audience but in your living room it would take quite a few "Appletinis" to make this a fun experience.
When Crow does finally get to her hits, the arrangements have been changed to keep with the "Memphis Sound" theme of the show. When you've already stacked almost half the setlist with the "Memphis Sound," would it be so bad to play your hits the way the fans want to hear them?
The overall look of the DVD is not great either. I watched "Sheryl Crow Miles From Memphis Live At The Pantages Theatre" on Blu-Ray and the picture didn't pop like it does on other concert releases. The video quality seemed hazy and didn't have a realistic "live" look which I think is a must for a live concert DVD.
Now, before you shoot the messenger, I want you to know that I am a huge Sheryl Crow fan. I own every album and I was actually at this Pantages Show when it was filmed. Unfortunately, it wasn't great that night and it doesn't hold up any better in your living room.
Drumroll please… 4 out of 10 drumsticks!!!
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