PRESS & FANS REVIEWS: DETROIT

Recenze fanoušků i tisku na koncert v Detroitu.

Mariah Carey, diva antics light up the Fox - By Adam Graham - Detroit News

Some artists work themselves into a frenzy in concert, giving everything to their performance until their sweaty, lifeless bodies are dragged off stage by members of their crew.

Then there's Mariah Carey, who at one point during her concert Monday at the Fox performed while laying on a couch, after a pair of assistants dabbed the beads of sweat from her forehead.

Look, Carey is a diva with a capital D, and her current Angels Advocate outing might as well be called the Diva Worship tour. Throughout the 95-minute concert Monday, Carey cheerfully played up her diva status, mock-barking orders at her stage crew, lounging on a couch during "Subtle Invitation" and sitting in a chair while wearing a robe during "My All." During "Obsessed," she was hoisted in the air and carried around by her dancers, a pampered princess sitting atop a world of her own making.

Other times Carey was practically immobile, ever-so-gently swaying to the beat during "Shake It Off" and "Touch My Body," working hard to not work too hard. (Side note: The latter song's tease "if there's a camera up in here, than I best not catch this flick on YouTube" was turned into an actual security policy, as no cameras were allowed in the building and cell phones were not permitted during the performance.)

It's obvious that no one is going to confuse Mariah Carey with Bruce Springsteen, but no one comes to a Mariah Carey concert expecting a lesson in stage dynamics. They come to bask in her presence and to hear the Voice, and Carey gave the crowd of 4,200 -- which included gospel singer Kierra Sheard and Detroit City Councilman Charles Pugh -- plenty of both on Monday.

She was looser between songs than she was at her concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills in 2006, which was somewhat miraculously her only other area concert to-date. Early in the show Monday, she alluded to her tipsy appearance at the Palm Springs International Film Festival a few weeks ago: "This is water, in a water thing," she said as she held up a bottle of water to the crowd and took a sip. "Everybody can relax and take a breath."

As for her voice, it was difficult to discern what was live and what was on track, though it's fair to say Carey was singing live a good portion of the show. She seemed to lean on a backing track for assistance, though it would take a vocal technician to determine what was live and what wasn't. For the most part she sounded strong and at times splendid (especially during "Fly Like a Bird"), though she struggled to hit her signature high notes in her nearly 20-year-old hit "Emotions."

Carey was joined on stage by a four-piece band, three backup singers and up to 10 backup dancers, and the staging was simple and understated. Carey went through four sparkly dresses but left the crowd hanging while changing, filling the gaps with long instrumentals and at one point letting backup singer Trey Lorenz sing Michael Jackson's "Rock With You."

Half of the set was culled from 2004's "The Emancipation of Mimi" and last year's under-performing "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel," with scattered stops at her other albums in between. Energy dipped during the lesser "Memoirs" cuts, as Carey plugged better versions to come on her upcoming remix album. The show's pacing was problematic, too; showstopper "Fly Like a Bird" came only four songs in, hitting an emotional peak that show-closer "Hero" couldn't match.

Still, there was a on-the-fly quality to the show, as if Carey, who turns 40 in March, is embracing the "Imperfect" of her album title. Her "Adventures of Mimi" tour was a tightly packaged arena juggernaut and this is a much simpler show, as if she's loosening control and letting the chips fall where they may. This time around, the Diva is just being herself.


Mariah's all diva in Detroit - By Chris Azzopardi - Pride Source

You attend a Mariah Carey concert to be in the dreamlike presence of a super-diva, not expecting to be wooed by artful razzle-dazzle or the singer's dexterous dance moves. Those aerobics are in her voice, a supreme many-octave instrument that worked for 95 minutes during her "Angels Advocate Tour" Monday at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.

She still nailed that infamous whistle note (several times during the vintage surprise "Emotions," her hit from 1991), went all bat-shit belty on the wooing "Fly Like a Bird" and made fierce girl-anthem "It's a Wrap," a song off her current album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel," sound better than its recording.

The voice wasn't the only spectacle. Mariah, who seemed especially at ease (with only one glass of bubbly, that we know of), played up the diva image - satirizing it, even - during the simple and classy show: being freshened up on stage, making mock demands and opening it in a way that only the diva of all divas would.

Double the diva
You can sip water from a straw (like Mariah did) and sing a ballad in a bathrobe (like Mariah also did), but what's more diva-like than doing another diva's song? Mariah, in a dress and a shoulder piece made of faux-fur, started with Diana Ross' sultry "Love Hangover" before merging into her own hit, "Heartbreaker." Sounds familiar, right? The singer did exactly the same mash-up during "VH1 Divas Live" in 2000. These days, though, Mariah's not just having love hangovers.

"If there's a camera up in here ... "
Oh the irony of that "Touch My Body" threat, "If there's a camera up in here, then I best not catch this flick on YouTube." No clips would make it onto the Web, however, because cameras were strictly prohibited. And, most shockingly, so were phones, which had to be turned off and put away during the performance. You might catch her at a bad angle, and we can't have that.

Mariah Carey... or Glinda the Good Witch?
There she was, all magically glowing from an adorned swing that descended from the heavens - or was it the ceiling? - as she ate up every scream, applause and bald head. Instrumentals from her ballad "Butterfly" played as she was lowered and a ruffled ball gown threatened to inhale the whole venue. She wore sparkly bracelets and earrings. Even her mic gleamed. The camera/phone ordeal wouldn't have been one if only she came with one more accessory: a magic wand.

Touch me up
A girl's gotta look good, and Mariah's fully aware of that. Which is why, before she launched into the jazzy "Subtle Invitation" (laying cozily on a couch, mind you), she called her grooming team out to, well, touch her body and have them pretty it up. Hair was primped; sweat was dabbed. She acknowledged it as "a complete and total diva moment." And it was.

Working hard-ly for the money
When Mariah wasn't gently swaying to "Touch My Body" or "Shake It Off," she was sitting, lounging or standing in place. In fact, her two fist-pumping arms did more work than the rest of her body, which after "My All" did nothing at all as it was carried off stage by some hot dancer. During "Obsessed," her dancers lifted her up like she was on top of her own world. She was. We were just momentarily basking in it.


FAN REVIEWS

Jim (Detroit, MI): "I was at the Fox Theatre in Detroit tonight. My first time ever seeing Mariah live in concert. Been a fan for years and when I saw she was coming to my hometown I had to go this time. What an experience! Having never seen her in person, but seeing other concerts, I tempered my expectations since 'live' performances have sometimes left me a little disappointed. Not Mariah. I was in the upper level and was initially a little concerned about the acoustics which started out a little shaky as the band seemed to drown our Mariah thru 'Shake It Off.' But as the show went on, it seemed that everything was taken care of and to hear her voice live was nothing short of incredible. I was looking forward to seeing 'Touch My Body' and I enjoyed the sultry performance. When she sang 'Angels Cry,' it actually brought a tear to my eye. Not only how she delivered a powerful rendition, but the words of the song resonate with me. My friend whom I attended the show with really enjoyed 'It's A Wrap' and I will say that hearing that live is MUCH better than off the CD. Then came 'My All' which is my favorite ballad of all time. Was a little disappointed that she didn't do 'Always Be My Baby,' but 'Emotions' was good and she hit all the octaves. Amazing! Then when we heard 'so, why are you so obsessed with me'... the house just erupted and it seemed like everyone was singing along. As she wrapped up the encore Hero,' all I was thinking was a little sense of disappointment that it was over. It was that good. The show went a good 90 minutes and it was truly a treat. She was personable, making fun of her diva image and playing to the crowd in between some unforgettable performances. A very memorable night."

Martin (Detroit, MI): "I was at the Mimi concert last night - 14th row center. The most amazing show I have seen in a long time! This was my first time seeing Mariah and it was better than I ever expected. I'm not going to lie, when she was lowered from the roof on her swing, I was so overwhelmed and just went crazy. The songs and purity of her voice and the way she commanded the stage, it was almost too much for me at times. I love love love her and the concert was truly a dream come true. I was able to sneak some pictures when she came out for an encore and sang "Hero." LOVE LOVE LOVE and I 100% recommend if you're able to see Mariah in concert...GO! You'll love it! Yes there were ballads, but she has us up out of our seats for most of the night...singing and dancing and moving...all night long. She was simply amazing."

Barbara (Rochester, MI): "The show was good overall. I made it for the end of the opening act and wish I would have seen more of it. The group seemed to be really good. I was in the 3rd row orchestra and the X-Men security guys were Nazis about the cell phones! I couldn't even text my daughter goodnight without them flipping out! I don't understand why Mariah demands such security about photos. The show itself was short and sweet. Exactly as expected from all the other reviews. Her voice was surprisingly strong. She did rely on the back up tracks for all the hard parts but she was very believable when she used them, and when she was live her voice was strong and amazing. I love that she struggled through a little bit of My All because that just showed she was real and putting in the effort! I wish it would have lasted a little longer, or that Eminem could have made a guest appearance during Obsessed, LOL, but hey it was a great show at an amazing venue. Can't ask for much more than that!"

Jay (Detroit, MI): "Wow! That show was really great. Here's the good: She sang live way more than I thought she was going to. When we sang live she sounded great. The bad: Didnt like the setlist that much, she didnt move as much in the beginning, The Adventures of Mimi was a bit more interesting, barely anyone stood during 'Up Out My Face.' TAOM was a better show, Angels Advocate had better vocals. Overall, I had an amazing night. The crowd was great and went crazy a couple times, no one stood during 'Up Out My Face' really. She looked amazing I had a great time. She sounded great!"

Nicholas: "I attended Mariah's Detroit concert at the Fox Theatre. Although Rydaznrtist seemed to have lipsynched most of their notes, they sound amazing and I look forward to hearing their album. I also got an autograph of one of the group members after the show. I offered him Memoirs and a Sharpie but he refused to write over Mariah's CD and insisted on signing a flyer instead. Despite having wanted to hear many more songs from Memoirs, my disappointment disappeared as soon as the curtains opened and Mariah slowly came down on a swing. I also attended The Adventures of Mimi, and despite TAOM having more movement as a show, Mariah's vocals have never been better. Hearing her voice live was truly amazing. Mariah seemed to be in a great joyous mood, and she truly hit every single note better than it could sound on any CD track. The staff at the theatre were extremely strict about no photos or videos being taken, let alone use of a cell phone. I wrote on a poster, 'Can I Have A Hug?' and after repeatedly holding it up, Mariah sure enough looked my way and hugged herself with her right arm after acknowledging what I had wrote. I am already anxiously awaiting the next time I will see her live."

Christina (White Lake, MI): "We were about 10 rows from the stage, to the left, on the main floor. One thing I'd like to mention that I didn't see in the other reviews was the merchandise. There was a lot of cool stuff, but man was it crazy expensive! The t-shirts alone were $40 a piece. Anyway, I bought a Mariah lanyard, plain black with the signature MC font in white, with an attached 'press pass' style laminate that says her name and 'angels advocate tour,' with the dates on the back. They had white hoodies, red t-shirts, maroon ultra thin girls tees, large black and white posters, playbooks, keychains, lanyards, and glowstick things. I purchased a tour playbook, poster, lanyard and red shirt and it was $80.00! It was worth it. I was so excited to be seeing Mariah for the first time. I have been a huge fan since I was 14, (so about 12 years now) and have never seen her live. We got in right when doors open, waited about 15 minutes for merchandise, and then went straight to our seats. I swear it couldn't have been more than 5 minutes when the lights went dark and we started to hear the Daydream Interlude music. There was a pretty purple curtain that lit up Mariah's name in white lights, before it was swept away and she got lowered to the stage from the ceiling on a swing. At this point the crowd was going crazy. I quickly felt the tears coming to my eyes, as this was a moment I've been waiting for for a very long time and Mariah's music, and her herself, mean a lot to me. I won't go through the playlist since that's already been disclosed, but overall it was good. It would have been nice to hear some older songs. I would've liked it if she skipped Subtle Invitation and Fly Like a Bird, but I know she probably did the latter because of the people in crowd and the big gospel following in Detroit. It was nice, I just love other songs a lot more. As far as Mariah herself, I wasn't disappointed in the least. She was everything I ever expected her to be; personable with the crowd, seemed happy to be there, 'Diva'-esque but only in the way that she was mocking herself, which made her all the more appealing. She was funny, often making little cracks at her own expense. It was a very light, easy going atmosphere in general. She did a couple wardrobe changes, but didn't keep us waiting that long at all. If anything it just made it more exciting, because of the anticipation. I really liked one particular waiting period where she was changing and they had the music for Make It Happen playing. All of a sudden Mariah came back out and picked up in the middle of the song. Her voice was very strong and I remember getting goosebumps at one point. I'm also biased though, because I've always loved that song. I'd say the crowd was most responsive when she played Emotions, We Belong Together, and Obsessed. But there weren't really any songs that people seemed unresponsive to. For her encore, she came out and did Hero, which was good, but not amazing. I wish she would have done at least one more song too, but it's understandable with her voice she can only do so many in a row without probably straining it. In summary, it was a good show. Well worth the tons of money I spent on tickets and merchandise."

Tino: "I'd like to start off by thanking MariahDaily.com and all of its tour correspondents for all of their dedication and work. It does not go unnoticed, as being a Lamb, I am very thankful for all you do. I appreciate you! I actually won front row tickets from Mariah's fan club, as I was able to interact with her, and was fortunate enough to touch her twice! I am the fan she talked to in the front row about doing her hair, before she sang 'Subtle Invitation,' which you mentioned in the live update. She was sitting right in front of me, and after telling her my name, Tino, she asked if I do hair, and I replied no, but I love you. She said those three words back! Hands down, this was the greatest night of my life! My focus was Mariah, her voice and person, as I really didn't pay attention to the dancers or any other spectacle. I happen to be one of the few people that stood up the whole time and rocked out. The audience, however, didn't seem as receptive as my friend and I. There was an 'older-folk' vibe, but that didn't stop me from having the time of my life. She also mentioned that she liked my ensemble, as I was wearing a read tour shirt. Her voice was spectacular and above all, I was in the presence of Mariah Carey! I also am a true fan of Michael Jackson as well as Mariah, so the whole musical aspect of the concert was literally perfect! The set list did seem a bit 'different,' and even though she has been having an overall consistent set list with a few changes here and there,it made sense to Mariah and that's what she wanted to do, so it's all good! This was my second concert, as my first was The Adventures of Mimi, and as I read somewhere on here, that The Adventures of Mimi tour was more about a show and a thank you to putting her back at #1, where this was more about the voice and promotion of her Angels Advocate album. She didn't represent all of her albums, which I feel alienated a majority of the audience, as it was an overall older crowd, and they were hoping for some old school Mariah, when in reality 10/18 songs were from her three latest albums. We had to sit down for My All, but as soon as my friend and I heard the drums for Emotions, we jumped up and continued to rock out. We are so thankful she did that song. I did make a fan book and posters, but we weren't allowed to give her anything and after my multiple interactions and the tight security, I was satisfied and settled. It was a great experience, Mariah was her fun loving self, and it was great to see her live in her element and happy! The only thing I would like to say that put a temporary damper on the concert was an usher and her bodyguard continuously coming up to me, trying to put me in my place. At one point, before 'Honey,' he was all up in my face saying 'I knew you were going to give me trouble, I knew it!' I guess after touching her twice, which she came by to touch my hand, and the multiple interactions with her were 'disturbing the concert.' Really? Sorry for being a true fan and having the greatest moment of my life! Some people, you give them a little authority and they run with it. Also, with being in the front row being under constant watch, I was unable to get any good pictures or video. But, enough of all the bleakness, the concert was a joyride through past and present hits, and I will never be the same after that night!"