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JOAN ARMATRADING ON TOUR:
More than four decades after her debut, British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading remains one of the country's most beloved and respected musical figures. Armatrading's honey-toned voice and raw, emotional lyrics earned her a string of hits in the '70s and '80s, and she's only improved over the years, delivering ever more moving and passionate performances on each successive tour. She's a veritable legend on the guitar, and whether she's picking out tunes on a six-string or a twelve-string, she never fails to impress with her nimble fingers and soulful playing. On the road in 2015 for the tour A Very Special Solo Evening with Joan Armatrading, the beloved singer offers fans a rare treat -- intimate, career-spanning solo performances featuring stripped-down renditions of classics like "Love and Affection" and "The Weakness in Me".
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
Caribbean-born Joan Armatrading spent her early childhood on Saint Kitts and Antigua before moving to Birmingham, England with her family at age seven. She picked up the guitar and piano in her early teens, and at age 16 she made her performance debut at Birmingham University with a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence". She released her first album Whatever’s for Us in 1972 and the follow-up Back to the Night in 1975, but she truly made a mark in 1976 when she cracked the Top 20 on the UK Albums Charts with her self-titled third album. The record's lead single "Love and Affection" was a Top 10 hit in the UK and also earned her a growing fanbase in the US, where she performed the song on Saturday Night Live in 1977. She cemented her status as the first black British female musician to achieve international success with her 1980 album Me Myself I, a new wave-influenced album that introduced a harder, rock edge to her sound and marked the pinnacle of her chart success. Armatrading has remained prolific ever since, releasing popular albums throughout the '90s and '00s. Following the 2012 release of her album Starlight, Armatrading hinted at retirement, meaning that the performances on her 2015 solo tour may be among her last.
haven't been to church service in years but i was transported thursday evening. As a solo performer Ms. Armatrading is intoxicating. My heart was in my throat as she had the crowd sing the refrains of her finale, Willow, with her.
Joan was amazing and funny...beautiful smile and such a wonderful collection of great songs. The backing track was a little unwelcome at times, though I understand her need to travel without a band...still, she showed amazing talent vocally and on guitar. Of course there were songs I wanted to hear (Save Me, Show Some Emotion) that were not included, but that is to be expected when an artist has so much great material. Don't miss her if you have the chance!
It's been years since I saw Joan. Her voice is still as strong and she has a wicked sense of humor. The concert was truly enjoyable. The only slightly puzzling aspect was the additional embellishments to her solo guitar playing. It was nice to be part of this retrospective concert.
I have been a fan of hers for a number of years.... 40+. I was thinking how comfortable and intimate you must be to go SOLO. This concert showed what an awesome guitar player she really is. Not bad on keyboards either. Her voice has stood the test of time. She sounded as good as she did 40+ years ago. I would recommend this show to all. First class musician she is a credit to her profession.
Her "Goodbye" tour, recounting her career in song and with photos. Crowd was a bit more sedate and older. Took my son who is 29, and a professional musician. He was very impressed with her guitar skills that I had never really appreciated. She still has her beautiful deep ranging voice. If you are a fan, you have to catch her on this tour.
The only redeeming part of this performance was the trio that prrformed before Joan came on the stage after a 45 minute intermission. She should have stayed back stage. It was awful. Sometimes we have to realize when the time has come to retire before being told to retire.
Loved Joan! She continues to fill the soul. Even without a full band, she was great!
On her final world tour, Joan Armatrading showed her unique ability as both a singer and musician in this solo performance. She sang a variety of songs from different albums. She was amazing on the acoustic six string, twelve string and electric guitar, and piano. She played some outstanding guitar solos. She showed a wry sense of humor and appreciation for her audience. Mid-performance she shared some wonderful photographs of special moments in her musical career. At age 64, Joan Armatrading can still move an audience and rock out with the best of them.
Great show that really showcased her talents. Like a fine wine, she gets better every time I see her perform (this is my 3rd time).
If you have listened to anything Joan has recorded and not heard her live you are missing the soul of her artistry. Being a fan for 30 years I never had the opportunity to see Joan Armatrading perform. Sunday April 19 2015 at the Carolina Theatre in Durham NC was one of the highlights of my musical experiences. Her guitar work is hard to describe. Amazing comes close but it's so much more. It was such a pleasant surprise to watch her wicked lIcks. So much fun. My wife who was not a fan could not say enough about her performance on the drive home. If you the opportunity to see Joan live do not miss it!'
Joan sounded sincere but I'd be hard pressed 's to say I understood anything she sang or said all evening. For a two instrument solo show this venue sounded like 1970 at MSG with dreadful bouncing acoustics .
With piano and guitar and a bit of pre-recorded accompaniment, Joan performs a winning solo performance. Don't miss her. It tooks a while for the sound engineer to get the sound levels right.
This was an amazing journey through Joan's career that showed off her virtuoso guitar skills and voice as well as her unmatched songwriting ability. Never pass up a chance to see her perform!!
I've seen Joan twice with full bands but it was a real treat to see her all on her own. I never realized she was such a good guitarist! I know it's her final major tour and it seemed very fitting.
I became a big fan in the mid/late '70's & saw Joan for the first time in mid '80's, at The Tower in Philly. Seeing her perform at The Scottish Rite Auditorium the other night was beyond all of my expectations! Our seats were FAB! The acoustics of this intimate venue honored Joan's perfect voice, her guitars & keyboards. She covered a smorgasbord of songs spanning her 40+ years of composing melodies & lyrics, with apparent ease & comfort. Her sense of humor was in full bloom and her well-earned pride for all of her accomishments was displayed via a narrated slide show. I truly feel that I received a very special gift, having treated myself & my sister, to that Very Special Evening With the-one-and-ONLY... Joan Armatrading! Thank you, Joan!!! Please come back again, sooooooon! Thanks also for signing my poster! God Bless You!
She was amazing and did not disappoint. No Parking
Joan playing guitar and piano. No one else. The concert hall was a great venue for her to perform. See her while you can. I have been a fan for her entire career one of my favorites.
she is one of my musical favorites and great influences . i appreciate the way the engaged and shared with the audience . a very big negative was the incredibly poor (loud but muffled ) acoustics . i have been to other concerts there and thought the acoustics were great so was surprised and disappointed.
Was great to see and hear her in the flesh again. Did not enjoy the pre-recorded music. If this was 'solo' concert, I'd have preferred to hear only her. Her vocal mic was insufficient, guitar and piano drowned it out. Overall sound quality was distracting.
Nice evening with an iconic performer, still in strong voice.
