Some missing pieces, but still a good show
by SkinnyLawyer on 9/13/09Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort - Las VegasRating: 4 out of 5This is my fourth Mariah Carey concert, my previous experiences being the televised Fantasy Madison Square Garden special in 1995, the Rainbow Tour in 2000, and the Adventures of Mimi Tour in 2006.
This show appeared, in my opinion, to be a test run for a long-term residency, similar to what Celine Dion had done with her A New Day in 2003-2007.
Great venue - very cozy and intimate. Mariah Carey tends to do her shows in large arenas, so this cozier venue is a great change for the better.
I also loved the fact that Mariah played up her "ego-centric diva" image in a tongue-in-cheek way during some of her numbers, without being blatant about it, which used to result in so much negative feedback in the past. Another issue in the past - overproduction - was not much of a factor at all. Three backup singers, six to nine dancers, a small band of six, not overwhelming.
Mariah stuck mostly to her newer material, especially tracks from the Emancipation of Mimi and E=MC2. A few upbeat songs were also done from her Sony/Columbia albums, but the ballads from those older albums, what I wanted to hear, were sorely missing, with the exception of the closing number, "Hero."
Very impressed with "I Wanna Know What Love Is," a cover of the Foreigner hit.
Trey Lorenz, the duet partner from "I'll Be There," was present, but he only sang Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" while Mariah did a costume change. If Trey was gonna be there anyway, why not do a real duet, even if it's not "I'll Be There?"
A hip-hop DJ did some mixes of Michael Jackson, old skool hip-hop, and current hip-hop to fill the time before the start of the show.
"Hero" was great as always; I cried through that number. But no encore - that's a shame. And most importantly, the show was only 15-16 numbers and 90 minutes tops. When I pay close to $200 for a concert ticket, I normally end up with a setlist of 20-25 numbers lasting 2 hours or more, especially with my other favorite artists.
So there definitely are a number of glitches that must be resolved. But if Mariah sits down with a top-notch producer and addresses them, she will definitely have a great Vegas residency of her own in the future.