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  The "treasure book" had character --  like one of those old books with something to cherish.  YOU made it special.
Fi loved it and was deeply touched.  See "Notes from the Road, #4"
(aren't you glad you were part of it? :)

REVIEWS

Fiona's concert at the 9:30 club was excellent. Not only was the performance spectacular but the atmosphere was extremely friendly. I just have to say that the audience was wonderful for the most part and although there was a lot of singing along it thankfully did not detract from the show. 

I feel it would be important to mention Jurassic 5's performance as well. The best word to describe the group is fun. Almost impossible to stand still during their set. Their lyrics were clean which is very hard to come by in the hip hop genre today and each member is extremely talented in his field of artistry whether is be as a rapper or a DJ.

As for Fiona's performance, I mentioned earlier that it was excellent and I guess I should expand on that. She opened with "On the Bound" as she has in the last few concerts which is an appropriate song to get the crowd going. She sat at the piano for the first few songs which was ok depending on where you were standing. For me, all I could see was the top of her head and her feet, but the songs were still amazing, and the lighting techniques helped to portray the emotions I might have missed on her face from my perspective. Once she got up to perform such hits as "Criminal" and "Limp", before she started singing she was playing with her skirt and realized that we was wearing it backwards. When she saw the tag in the front she just looked up and laughed. Her innocent, child-like demeanor was very endearing and sweet and definitely added to my enjoyment of the concert. Most of the songs she played were very similar to their album versions except, by seeing her face and gestures in the midst of singing and dancing (her dancing was as mesmerizing as ever) I was able to appreciate the songs even more and truly understand what she was feeling when she wrote them. One of my favorite performances was of "Carrion." In the middle her face was so wrought with emotion it looked like she was going to burst into tears. The passion this woman put behind her lyrics is just a concept beyond my grasp and for that I truly admire her. 

Before I go on, there is one thing I must mention because I believe it was one of the happiest moments of my life. At one point in the show, between songs, I managed to get close enough to hand Fiona the scarf that I had worn to the concert because I knew that she liked scarves (at least she seems to wear them a lot anyway) and I didn't have anything else to give. When she took it from me, she actually asked me if she could keep it and of course I said yes. To my surprise she put the scarf on then and there. Fiona was very sweet about all the gifts she received and I just want her to know that it is greatly appreciated by her fans.

Furthermore, the encore of the Cole Porter and Bill Withers songs were beyond amazing. Fiona's voice seems to adapt to any genre of music and always sounds like that's what she was born to sing. Overall, the concert was one of the best nights in my life and I'd just like to say to Fiona- Thanks!

Andrea

OH MY GOD.
Last night I had a religious experience.  I saw Fi at the 9:30 club in DC.  First of all, the 9:30 club is one of my favorite places to see concerts, because it is so small, and just fucking cool.  Jurassic 5 was pretty good.  They are very entertaining, and a great opening act.  Now onto Fiona. . . . . .

She was simply amazing.  I've seen Fi 7 other times (three times on her tidal tour, and 4 times on Lilith).  She was awesome back then, but she top herself this time around.  She had such stage presence, and she was very commanding.  She controlled the audience, and acted as if she was everyone's best friend.  The energy before the show was so high.  And when she walked on stage, I thought the roof was going o pop off.  The only way she could shut everyone up, was to play "On the Bound."

"On the Bound" was incredible. She kicked off the show with "Bound" and "To Your Love. "  They were both kick ass.  She rocked from the first cord of her piano, and didn't stop.  "To Your Love" is one of my favorites off the CD, and it was even better live.

"Criminal" surprised me.  It's not my favorite song (I think, because I've heard it too much), but it was incredible.  "Limp" was also very good.  Lots of energy.  However, the next song ties for one of the best of the night. . . . . . . .

"Sullen Girl"  was downright amazing!!  I was almost brought to tears.  She sang and played with such conviction and passion, that it is hard not to put her on some sort of pedestal.

"Paper Bag" is another favorite of mine.  It was very good.  Lots of fun.  I love Fi's bluesy/jazzy slow (sometimes silly) voice, and "Paper Bag" showcased that voice.  "Get Gone"  very good.  Lots of energy.

"Love Ridden!!!!!!!!!!"  What can I say about this song.  This might win first place.  She was so fuckin' AWEsome.  I am speechless.  I will remember this performance for a long time.

"Sleep to Dream" was a refreshing look back at "Tidal".  "Carrion" lived up to all of the previous allocates, and was great.  "The Way Things Are"  was also very, very good, and "I know" again one of my favorites of the night.  "A Mistake" was hardly that.  When she sings:  "I'm gonna fuck it up again. . . . ."  I relate!!  That should be my theme song.

"Fast As You Can" was incredible.  There was so much energy in the room.  Everyone was singing a long, and have a good time.  ( I have to say that all those people who bitch about people singing along with Fiona, you are right, we did not come to hear them sing, but we did come to have a good time, and have a lot of fun, so give people a break, because you know that you are just as guilty, and besides, it must be flattering to Fiona)  Anyway, great end to a flawless set.

Encore!!!  I wanted three more just like it.  the Cole Porter song ("Just One of Those Things") was one of the best songs of the night.  It fits her voice perfectly.  And "Kissing My Love", by Bill Withers, was a perfect end to a perfect night!!!

I do wish she had played "Never Is A Promise," because that is the most amazing song ever written!!!!!

Fiona you were amazing, and I thank you for one of the best nights of my life (no joke)!!!!!!!!

LOVE ----- Mike

I guess we were a little close to the stage.  In fact we were literally inches away from Fiona.  Her manager is alright with people taking pictures and because of this I heard muttering from those who wished they brought one in.  

We were a little apprehensive about the venue because we heard it was so small and it was a club gig.  Wow were we wrong!  What a great intimate venue!  The crowd was so awesome in their response to Fi.  Fiona even considered taking "Love Ridden" out of her set list prior to her performance.  (GASP!  NO!)  When she received such a warm response from the crowd she kept the set list intact. 

There was such an outpouring of gifts from the fans.  People gave her letters, cards, flowers and most memorable were the scarf mentioned above and a group of people giving her what can only be described as Student ID's.  (which she reluctantly took) 

Keith Lowe has become something of a teen idol on this tour.  Everywhere he goes, starting with Philly, there are girls holding up signs in admiration of him.  Fiona had a good giggle about this.  Do me a favor, when you see Keith ask him for his card!  He loves passing them out ;)

After the show we gave her the "Treasure Book" and she loved it!  She has an off day Sunday so she said she would read the entire book.  We'd like to thank all of you that participated in this venture. 

We met so many nice people at these first few shows, thanks for approaching us and introducing yourselves.  We took tons of pictures so you may still see yourself pop up on this site. :)  Special thanks to Fiona and her staff for all they've done for us and continue to do for us.  We'll let you all know what show we're going to next!

--David

Well, my sister and I stood in line for 4 and a half hours before this show as it would be our last of this leg of the tour and we wanted to make sure it would be a great one. It paid off because we got to stand right up front (right next to Dave and Nan), within arms reach of Fiona's Christmas light covered piano. I never thought you could be so close at any concert. Fiona even seemed a bit surprised, when she first came out, at how close everyone in front was to her. When we first saw the 9:30 Club it was immediately apparent why it sold out so much faster than the other shows, it is really quite small. It didn't seem to faze her a bit, beyond commenting on it, as she ripped right into "On the Bound" just as great as ever. Everyone inside didn't seem to mind either as it gave it such a more intimate feel than the other shows had, although being in front probably helped me get that feeling:-). When you are that close you can see just how much she puts into each and every song. Whether she really is or not, you really get the feeling she is reliving every one of the emotions from each particular song, whether it be fury, sadness, tenderness, or disappointment. And after watching her do the encore songs by Cole Porter and Bill Wither's perfectly for the third time, I've come to realize there is no song that she couldn't completely make her own and make it more beautiful, or rock harder, more fun, or more haunting than the previous version. She could go from anything that the great Ella Fitzgerald made famous, to a certain Toad the Wet Sprocket song my sister and I would love to see her do, to Led Zeppelin songs like "Since I Been Loving You", and everything in between. Her voice and the soul she puts into it are timeless and can't be contained by just one style of music. I've been to three shows on this tour and have seen 3 brilliant performances. Thank You Fiona. John

Could this be the sexy guy?

From Nicole:

Hi all,

This is the deal, I know I've only put reviews in for CT and Boston until now, but 6 shows in 10 days was exhausting! I really haven't had time in-between (when I didn't have to work or pack for the next show) or access to a computer sometimes, so I haven't been able to keep up with reviews. Now that it's been awhile since some shows I saw, for example Wilkes-Barre, And I can't exactly remember everything, I'm just gonna comment on my overall experiences and the last show for me, D.C. My brother has posted reviews for Wilkes-Barre, Upper Darby, and D.C. though, and since we were together for those, not much new to say! He has access to a computer at work, but I don't, plus I've been sick since I've returned from D.C. so I apologize for not keeping up.

Enough of all that, I've had some great experiences! Everything about the shows has pretty much been covered already by people who were with me or near me, so I will just say my personal thoughts once again. I was so skeptical about the 9:30 club as it was a shitty area and so small. As my brother said, we waited outside the D.C. venue for 4 1/2 hours in order to secure front row, which we definitely did! Fiona was EXTREMELY close. I have to admit, at times it felt too close for comfort. Poor girl, I wonder how she felt! I was right with Dave and Nanikita also, so like they said, she was inches away. We were right in front of the piano, and from her piano to the end of the stage was about 2 feet that she had to squeeze by every time she got up or down from the piano. I know this is a fucked up thought, but I could have tripped the girl, 20 times over! Okay, after that disturbing visual, let me move on to say that I did not have zoom on my camera, so what you see in the pics is how I saw it that night! It was incredible being that close! And I was definitely proven wrong about my preconceptions.

During the songs at the piano, I could not see her face, so it was interesting to watch her work the foot pedal. Strange I know, but it was cool to have a different view of something after 5 other shows, ya know? Also, since I couldn't see her face I found it somehow easier to focus my attention on the other instruments. I noticed this very much with "The Way Things Are". I feel like every instrument during that song was resonating throughout my entire body, and that song was just so kick ass to me that night that I still think of that experience! I was a dancing fool during that song! A certain tall, sexy guitar player played a big part in how kick ass that song sounded! : ) I also don't know how I didn't cry during "Sullen Girl"! Anyone who hasn't seen this song performed live yet is in for a surprise. It is so powerful and moving, it will blow you away. Hearing Fiona pour her heart out to us with everything she's got, especially about such a personal matter is very unforgettable. A certain tall, sexy guitar player's part in that song is great also!

Alright, this sucks because everything else has been said. Like all the gifts and Fi's skirt being on backwards, etc...so now I'm just going to do a quick recap of all my experiences and say which were my favorite and why. Just Because!

The first show, in Connecticut was definitely my favorite! It was the first show, ya know, and Fi was soooo unbelievably energetic, and talkative and excited, it was exhilarating! I also remember her doing this funky dance across the stage during the Bill Withers cover ( I mentioned that in my CT review) and it was so sexy, I still can see it in my mind. Not to mention, the dance was to a certain tall, sexy guitar player's part again. Ok, also, it was my first experience with going backstage and obviously it was just amazing! THANK YOU DAVE AND NANI AGAIN, I LOVE YOU! Anyway, it was truly bless to meet her after 2 1/2 years of following her music. She is beautiful, and sweet and I love her and I love my pictures and I was and am so happy!!

My 2nd favorite is Boston. Although it's hard to say, cause this isn't my second favorite performance, but it is my second favorite experience. It is second because I got to give all of my gifts and flowers to Fi and that made me so happy to finally feel like I could give her back something tangible for all the she's given to me with her music.

My 3rd favorite would have to be Wilkes-Barre. My brother and I were in the front row of the audience she says was "From fucking Heaven"! That feels good! It was a great show. A lot of energy and she sounded fantastic. I specifically remember her cover songs being fucking phenomenal that night. Perhaps helped out by fact that the entire floor section of the audience had managed to make their way up to the stage and dance and go crazy which definitely gave Fi and extra added push of adrenaline. She loved it! And so did we. I also played a fun game of charades with Keith and Lucky outside after the show. It was quite funny.

My 4th fave is Philly. The sound for this show was out of this world! (How stupid does that sound?!) But it was! The venue lent itself wonderfully to Fi's voice. It was huge and had cool lights on the ceiling and she had her new ear monitor working for her. I was seated quite a bit further back than the other shows, but it was good to be able to hear all the sounds as a whole. Everything sounded so good that night. Even when I was talking to Bobby, the guitar tech, in D.C. the next night, he said that the Philly show sounded exceptionally good. Well, those werent' his exact words, but you get the idea. Then, after the show, my brother and I went backstage again with Dave and Nanikita. (Thank you's!) I gave Fi a little box with a chinese message of happiness in it. Then we got silly and took some pictures. We were gonna take some normal pics again just smiling, but I was like, no I have some of those, (I'm so spoiled, I know) let's do something funny. So Fi said, "Let's just grab as much as we can!" And it was in a cafeteria, (catering room) so we grabbed flowers and cheese. That's what was there. So, she's holding a basket of cheese over her head, isn't that great?! She's so cute! Anyway, I'm happy my brother got to meet her too. That's cool.

pictures courtesy of Nicole

My 5th favorite (are you guys still awake?!) is D.C. cause it was just really awesome to be that close to the stage while she was performing. "Sullen Girl" and "The Way Things Are" were perfection that night. Lucky told me he wishes people would start liking "The Way Things Are" and "A Mistake" more, so be sure to show tons of enthusiasm for those two kick-ass songs, ok?! Fi finally saw us from the stage at the end of the show, when she was getting a zillion gifts from people. It was a very fun night, and a very cool venue. I will not be skeptical of anything anymore. Because literally every time I have a preconceived idea about a town or venue, it seriously turns out completely opposite. I thought poorly of Wilkes-Barre and D.C. and they turned about to be awesome. And I had the thought that Roseland would be amazing, and look what happened with that one!

Which brings me to my last choice. Roseland. Not the best show by any means. A lot of freezing my butt off ahead of time, and high expectations, but shit happens, and I will at least be able to see the make-up show sometime soon. So, so be it. And that's that. Until next time, thanks for reading. Take care and happy adventures with future shows! I've had a blast! I've met some great people along the way too! And thank you, Fiona, for being you! I'll see ya on the second leg!

---Nicole

Pictures below property of NIAP!