Live Review: James Blunt in San Francisco

Live Review: James Blunt in San Francisco
LiveDaily.com - USA
There's something about James Blunt (tickets music)'s inescapable single "You're Beautiful" that definitely says "junior high school dance." The overwrought ...

There's something about James Blunt's inescapable single "You're Beautiful"
that definitely says "junior high school dance." The overwrought, catchy
tune--with its lyrics that can be overly simplified and taken in the wrong
way--seems tailor-made for first crushes.

Blunt's greatness, if indeed it can be called that at this early point in his career, comes from his ability to make grownups put aside decades of first-hand experience--messy divorces, painful breakups, etc.--and believe that love is all you need.

Indeed, like with kindred spirit Nazareth, love hurts in Blunt's world. Yet, he makes that
sound like something that should be cherished and honored, not despised and
mocked. In other words, James Blunt's world is not the real world.

Still, it's a fine place to spend an evening. That was definitely the case when the
English singer/songwriter visited the Warfield in San Francisco on Thursday
(4/6).

During the second half of a sold-out, two-night stand at the lovely
downtown venue, Blunt thrilled a highly demonstrative crowd with his tales of
heartbreak, unrequited passion and desperate longing. The fact that he was able
to take such sad-sack subject matter and somehow make the evening feel uplifting
is a sign that this singer/songwriter could have a promising future in the
industry.

Before one looks to the future, however, it's interesting to look
back at the artist's brief history, given that he has one of the more
interesting stories in the pop game.

Blunt served four years in the British Army and didn't even start performing in clubs until a few years ago. In 2003, he played a showcase at the South by Southwest music conference and impressed Linda Perry enough to sign him to her Custard label. His 2005 debut, "Back to Bedlam," produced the UK-chart-topping single "You're Beautiful." Some high-profile TV spots in this country, most notably a gig on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," helped "Back to Bedlam" become a blockbuster on this side of the Atlantic.

At the Warfield, Blunt came across as more than just a carefully
fabricated pop star riding the current wave of interest in sensitive male
singer/songwriters. He looked like the real deal.

Blunt and his four-piece backing band kicked off the show with the non-"Bedlam" track "Breathe" and proceeded to cautiously and convincingly move through one teary-eyed
confessional after another. It's no wonder that his fans include the likes of
Elton John, who had the young singer perform at the flamboyant pianist's wedding
to David Furnish, given how strongly he conjures up images of '70s AM-radio pop.
Concert-goers could hear bits of The Beatles and Coldplay in songs such as
"Billy" and "Cry," but mostly they were bombarded with sonic imagery of classic
Elton John, Billy Joel and Rod Stewart as Blunt crooned with heartache on his
sleeve through the likes of "High" and "So Long Jimmy."

The highlight of the concert for most fans came with the touching "You're Beautiful." That's the song that Blunt performed at Elton's wedding, which is an odd choice since it deals with not getting the one you love. Yet, although the lyrics read otherwise, the
song comes across like a celebration, as if truly pining for someone is the
ultimate achievement that a person can hope for in the world.
Of course, the "world" that is being referenced here is probably not the one that you and I live in on a day-to-day basis. It is, however, a pretty nice world to visit when
James Blunt is your tour guide.

[Note: The following tour itinerary has been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]

April 200630 - Indio, CA - Coachella FestivalMay 20063 - Mexico City, Mexico - Teatro Metropolitan4 - Guadalajara, Mexico - Teatro Estudio Cavaret6 -
Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater7 - Austin, TX - The Backyard8 - Grand
Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre10 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock at Seminole11 - Lake
Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues12 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall13 -
Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle14 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium16 - St. Louis,
MO - The Pageant17 - Columbus, OH - Lifestyle Communities Pavilion

James Blunt sings songs for the lonely at the Warfield
Inside Bay Area - Oakland,CA,USA
By Jim Harrington, STAFF WRITER. He spent four years in the British Army, served in the military hotspot of Kosovo, and didn't even ...
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James Blunt has a good story.

He spent four years in the British Army, served in the military hotspot of Kosovo, and didn't even play his first club gig until a few years back. The English singer-songwriter then visited the South by Southwest music conference and performed a showcase that would make a believer out of Linda Perry, who quickly signed him to her label.

His first single, "You're Beautiful," was a smash hit in his homeland, pending five weeks at No. 1 on the U.K. charts in 2005. Thanks in large part to a guest spot on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Blunt's debut, "Back to Bedlam," would eventually become a blockbuster in the United States. Now it's at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

Fortunately, Blunt has the talent and potential to match his story. On Thursday, during the second half of a sold-out two-night stand at the Warfield in San Francisco, the vocalist-guitarist came across like much more than another flash in the pop-music pan. Indeed, he delivered a highly enjoyable evening of solid tunes and, in all, gave the impression that he is a musician with a bright future ahead.

The concert kicked off with "Breathe," one of the few non-"Bedlam" selections of the night, and 2,000 fans who had been waiting to exhale screamed out at the top of their lungs.

Although Blunt's fans run the age spectrum, from teenyboppers to even my mom's age, this crowd was mostly twentysomething females. It sure came across like every one of them had a major crush on the heartthrob.

Blunt certainly gives them plenty of fuel for their fire. The new king of heartbreak, his love songs ache in ways that both a spurned teenage girl and a divorced music critic can understand. He pines from a safe distance, wishes things were different and doesn't love the object of his desire any less just because they aren't.

The singer's musical influences were obvious and effective in the 70-minute show. He conjured images of the Beatles with the shiny pop of "Billy" and turned the dial to '70s-era AM radio for the Rod Stewart-like "High," which opens "Bedlam."

Giving his four-piece backing band a breather, Blunt moved from guitar to piano for a tender version of "Goodbye My Lover" that would have pleased Carpenters fans. It says a lot about the artist's stage presence that his solo rendition of "Lover" was arguably the highlight of the night. He was utterly believable, sounding like a man who has just lost his one true love, as he repeatedly moaned the song's closing line, "I'm so hollow."

He detoured briefly from crooning sad love songs to sing the mournful "No Bravery," which he said was written while he was in Kosovo in 1999. This is a heavy song, featuring such lyrics as "Old men kneel to accept their fate / Wives and daughters cut and raped / A generation drenched in hate." The images of the war-torn region shown on a video screen at the back of the stage helped drive home the song's message.

It's a good sign that this tune, so vastly different than the rest of the material, didn't derail the show's momentum one iota. It shows that Blunt has the ability, and the option, to further expand his repertoire beyond sad love songs -- if he so desires.

Not that there is anything wrong with sad love songs.

Blunt, of course, saved his best-known sad love song for last. "You're Beautiful" is a pretty tragic tale, ending with the narrator's realization that he will never get that particular girl, but it hardly feels that way.

In fact, there's an element to that song that is quite uplifting. He somehow manages to make desperate, unfilled love sound desirable and, indeed, universal.

We needed a new champion of the lovesick. With the arrival of James Blunt, we've got one that could turn out to be great.

Write music critic Jim Harrington at jharrington@angnewspapers.com.

Billboard singles reviews: James Blunt, Chili Peppers
Olberlin - Olberlin,KS,USA
1 Billboard Hot 100 success of James Blunt‘s "You‘re Beautiful" restored much faith to those who feared that straight-ahead pop melodies were a wistful ...