Friday, February 12, 1999
Merchant of the Night
MUSIC: Former Maniac Natalie Merchant wows audience at the
Universal Amphitheatre
By Trinh Bui
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
She walked onstage in shadows and silhouettes but lit the stage
up with a clairvoyant voice and radiant personality.
Natalie Merchant, in support of her newest solo effort "Ophelia"
performed a charming show at the Universal Amphitheatre Wednesday
night. With the recent hubbub about all the women garnering Grammy
nominations, Merchant has been inauspiciously left out of the
chase.
After seven albums with 10,000 Maniacs and two solo LPs,
Merchant’s songwriting credentials run deeper and broader than
those of most of the heralded women up for the golden record
player.
No matter, the crowd gathered for the night was treated to
stirring renditions of classic 10,000 Maniacs tunes as well as
music from Merchant’s two solo albums.
The Lilith sprite graced the stage with choirgirl
mischievousness, opening the show with the title track from
"Ophelia." Merchant’s voice carried well in the amphitheater. The
voluminous space hindered nothing as her vocals filled every
rounded corner of the amphitheater with a balanced, melodically
pleasing sound.
Her back-up band supported the lyrics with crisp, spirited and
pinpoint execution of every song. Carnival supplemented with an
energized bass, and drums added rock ‘n’ roll to the otherwise
mellow song. Merchant was possessed by the music as she contorted
her body like a whirling dervish before diving into an exasperated
version of the song.
What defined Merchant’s performance was the genuine gratefulness
and generosity she held for her fans. A lesser artist might have
come off as calculated and conniving, but Merchant’s gentile
demeanor glimmered with heartfelt sheen.
It’s such character and kindly perspective that gives Merchant
the ability to write introspective gems without seeming sappy.
"Wonder" displayed Merchant’s writing acumen with rousing
lyrics. She took to the piano for the song and set the tone for the
rest of the music. A gentle anthem for the beauty of womanhood,
Merchant performed "Wonder" with assertiveness and the energy of a
rock-a-billy.
Onstage, Merchant moved with the night’s up-tempo theme. Her
hips swayed like a bellydancer’s. She moved with the grace and
mystery of a gypsy telling fortunes with cadenced lyrics.
The atmosphere transformed into an intimate engagement fitting a
small coffeehouse rather than mini-arena. Merchant offered
ramblings and tales of past encounters with the comfort reserved
for friends. The friendliness helped ease the stark and sparse
arrangements of "Tigerlily" and made for perfect transition to the
lusher, more layered sounds of "Ophelia."
The night was capped with an encore highlighted by "These are
Days." Merchant showed that it only takes one maniac to drive 6,000
people crazy.
Photos by MICHAEL ROSS WACHT/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Natalie Merchant brought her passionate voice and lyrics to the
Universal Amphitheatre Wednesday night.
Natalie Merchant brought older 10,000 Maniacs songs as well as
material from her new albums to an enthralled crowd.
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