Alanis Morissette @ ICC Theatre, Sydney – 24 January 2018

A couple of weeks have passed now and I’ve actually caught a couple of shows since, but I’m still feeling buoyed by the buzz that comes when you see one of those once-in-a-lifetime gigs. You know the ones, where you have such a heightened sense of anticipation, yet somehow the artist matches it and gives you everything you could have dreamed of. That’s how I feel about Alanis Morissette’s show at Sydney’s ICC Theatre last month.

Alanis is one of those special musicians I thought I’d never see. I was a teenager when she broke onto the music scene and her angsty, powerful songs struck such a chord with my moody self. I soaked up every album, coming to see her as a kind of wise sister who could help support me through all of those angsty things teens go through. I remember when she toured. I was making just a little bit of money working in retail and I wasn’t allowed to make the journey from Newcastle to Sydney anyway, so I had to let it go. Then she went off and got married and had babies, and I resigned myself to this feeling that I’d missed the boat.

I see so many concerts that most times I don’t get the butterflies. But they were certainly fluttering as I made my way to Sydney for this gig. While I was excited to see Alanis, I was also thrilled to catch Angie McMahon, who wowed me with her song “Slow Mover” a few months back. What a talent she is. The conditions were less than ideal, with people streaming into the venue and chattering amongst themselves. It’s hard to win people over with just an acoustic guitar and original songs. But I loved tuning in to her music. She’s a real talent.

While people chattered through Angie’s set, you could feel the reverence when Alanis took the stage. The applause was rapturous, quickly giving way to a hush. Every one of us just wanted to hang onto her every lyric, a task made so much easier with a stripped back acoustic set. Recognising she hasn’t seen us in an awfully long time, Alanis set about giving us a set that celebrated her career. Hit after hit came, all the songs we wanted to sing along to. For me the highlights came when she performed songs I didn’t quite expect like “Wake Up” and “Mary Jane.” Watching her perform “Everything,” a song that perhaps sums up myself and my relationship with my husband better than any other, saw me wiping back tears.

Alanis has such a beautiful aura about her. She’s gracious and humble, at ease with the crowd, incredibly funny and sweet, and so willing to share herself with her audience. Simply being in her presence for the night was so special.

It’s impossible for a performer as iconic as Alanis to do everything you want to hear. We all have songs that are special to us, the hidden tracks and album songs that never charted that we hold close to our heart. Some might say her set was safe, and in some ways perhaps it was, but I can’t fault Alanis for sticking to the songs we bought in droves. It’s the best way to make sure people go away happy. I for one left ICC Theatre grinning from ear to ear, content that this bucket list gig was everything I hoped for.

Image source: own photos

Angie McMahon Books High-Profile Supports With “Slow Mover” Release

What’s better than discovering an awesome new song that you can’t stop playing? Finding out that the artist is supporting a musician you already have tickets for! The song in question is “Slow Mover,” and the woman behind it, Melbourne’s Angie McMahon, will warm up the crowds at Alanis Morissette’s upcoming shows.

This track just oozes heart and charm. I love Angie’s low, smokey vocals and its great groove. Those lyrics too really strike a chord.

“’Slow Mover’ is a song about putting energy into things that are worthwhile, and taking plenty of time to get to a good place,” she explained. “I’d spent a lot of time pining after love, but at this point, my head was shifting, and what I actually wanted and needed was to pursue my music career.”

If you didn’t secure tickets to those sold-out Alanis gigs, don’t worry. Angie is headlining a show tomorrow and supporting The Shins in December. Here are all the places you can see her showcasing tracks from her debut album, due out next year!

2 November 2017 – Workers Club, Melbourne
4 December 2017 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne (with The Shins)
5 December 2017 – QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane (with The Shins)
8 December 2017 – Enmore Theatre Sydney (with The Shins)
22 & 23 January 2018 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
24 January 2018 – ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney

Image used with permission from This Much Talent

Alanis Morissette is Coming Back to Australia!

Alanis Morissette hasn’t toured this country for 18 years. Back then I was 19. Money was tight, and while I saw concerts, I certainly didn’t get to see everyone that touched my heart musically. Back then I assumed I’d have other opportunities. I didn’t expect to be kept waiting quite so long.

But Alanis settled down, morphing from the angsty voice of a generation to some kind of Mother Earth figure with kids and a husband. I honestly thought I’d missed my opportunity to catch her live show.

I am as thrilled as anyone could be with the news today that she’s coming back to our shores. And won’t it be worth the wait. For starters, she’s playing acoustic shows. Be still my beating heart. She’s also playing intimate venues. Playing in just two cities, I believe she’s still got the pulling power to fill an arena. I’m glad she won’t though. January cannot come fast enough.

Alanis Morissette will bring her An Evening With Alanis Morissette shows to Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on January 23 and the ICC Sydney Theatre on January 24. Tickets go on sale on August 7.

Image via Justin Higuchi @ Flickr