Review: Nelly Furtado Live

I just picked up Nelly Furtado's new live DVD, Loose: The Concert, along with some other concert DVDs (Beyoncé and Amy Winehouse, which I haven't watched yet). The show was filmed on her international "Get Loose" tour, in support of her critically-acclaimed hit album Loose. I was pleasantly surprised by the show for a number of reasons, and reminded of why I love Nelly Furtado in the first place. The song selection, pacing and overall staging were all spot-on. Starting out with "Say It Right," Nelly got the show off to an upbeat start, singing old favorite "Turn Off The Light" and Loose single "Do It" before segueing into the show's next segment, a nearly-acoustic set. With her dancers performing a well-choreographed ballet-based routine, she started off the slower section of the show with "Showtime," also from Loose. On the album, it didn't stand out as one of my favorites, but on stage she turned it into a heartfelt piano ballad that completely redefined the song. Other highlights of the middle segment were her cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and acoustic renditions of "Try" and "All Good Things (Come To An End)." Her stage presence for the most part held up well throughout the slower tracks, and her audience interaction was great, especially with the crowd singalongs during "Crazy." It did seem a bit long here though, so splitting up the section into two separate acts throughout the show might have been a wise move. After an outfit swap, she returned to the stage to perform her hit Timbaland collaboration "Give It To Me" before jumping into the highly-charged final portion of the show. Including spirited renditions of "Forca" and "Promiscuous," the highlight of the very fun last section was definitely Loose track "Glow," which included an unexpected interpolation of the Blondie classic "Heart Of Glass." Saving the best for last, the encore finished with perhaps her signature track, "Maneater," and definitely got me out of my seat to dance around the room. Her stage persona and the choreography worked well alongside great material to make for an excellent concert overall. With a few more albums of material and some more touring experience, I can definitely see her earning a respectable reputation as a live performer. I'm already looking forward to her next tour so this time I can have a chance to see her! Check out a video from the show and some downloads from the accompanying live album.

"Showtime" (from the DVD Loose: The Concert)

Live Audio (from the live album Loose: The Concert):
"Do It" [zShare]
"Glow / Heart Of Glass" [zShare]

Listen to her cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" in my old post Covered Up 02: Crazy Nelly. If you liked these selections, definitely check out the live DVD or the live CD.

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us! | digg story