Natalie Merchant Tickets

I was shocked at how much life the new material displayed, as I'd listened to the CDs only once and was not inspired. I came to the show with fairly middling expectations. Natalie Merchant absolutely blew me out of the water. The acoustics, execution, and choreography of the set list were so powerful, this ranks easily in the top five shows I've seen, possibly as high as # 3; keep in mind the competition is Roger Waters, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Cowboy Junkies, and Aimee Mann. Absolutely masterful, do not miss!!

The venue for this show was tops! I really don't know what I can describe it as other than "World Class". N. Merchant put on a fantastic show...well worth my 6hr trip from NC to MD. Thanks!

Natalie was great - great venue, great performance...just a wonderful night!

Very enjoyable concert, first time at the Strathmore, usually a classical music venue, the acoustics are wonderful. Ms Merchant has created a group of songs based on various writers and poets that follow the theme of childhood in response to her having a child in 2004. This turned this concert into a semi lecture, a slide would go up with, say a picture of Edward Lear, Ms Merchant would talk about him for a few minutes and explain from where she got an idea for the song and then sing it. Yes, there very easily could have been a test at the end. But, I enjoy her distinctive voice styling which can be powerful and "far-away" at the same time. She also swirled around the stage in basic flamenco moves, the overall effect being one of never feeling rushed, never feeling like we had to get on to the next song, she was enjoying, acting out each song in a leisurely mode, (She performed for 2 and 1/2 hours) After her set on the poets, the fairly lengthy encore included a couple of her standards such as carnival, but don't look for her to go over older material. ("Trust us, trust us") Oh by the way, don't come it late, she really ragged on latecomers: "Lot's of traffic? Must be really hot running in this weather...he looks upset (picture on slide of writer) because people missed part of the show..." As I said, be in your seats, especially if you're up close. On the other hand, from her encore when she could relax a little her joy in performing really came through and I'm guessing the concert went on longer than planned.

Natalie Merchant and her band brought under the spell of the beautiful world of children's poetry and made them come alive. Everything about the show was excellent, her voice, the band and her fascinating explanation about the poets made a fascinating and enthralling evening.

Although I was not familiar with her newest music from "Leave Your Sleep", Natalie Merchant's creative songwriting and haunting voice still both exude both clarity and mystery. Excellent performance, and, as most of her fans would agree, of particular satisfaction was her encore, which consisted of at least 8 of her older tunes. The Strathmore theater is an acoustically and esthetically wonderful venue. Kudos to Natalie for her artistry of storytelling with her beautiful vocals.

The main part of the show focuses entirely on her new CD which was inspired by poetry. Rather than just play through the songs, Natalie takes a moment before each one to share the history behind the poetry and her interpretation of the meaning. Using powerpoint, she incorporates photos of the various poets on a screen to create additional depth. Along the way, she comfortably interacts and jokes with the crowd which created a truly intimate setting. The main show was very good but her encore just blew me away. The encore featured many of her past classics and Natalie treated the audience to at least 8 or 9 songs, Wow!!! She ended the night with "thank you" and walked around the audience which had everyone up and dancing. Overall, a true artist that continues to grow with her music and fans. In a music industry full of synthesized and artificial sounds, Natalie is a beacon of talent and purity with a voice that still sounds amazing. Thank you Natalie, great show! The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wanted to hear even more of her classics but otherwise this was 5 stars for me all the way!

What a truely beautiful and amazing show!!! More like theater than a regular concert!! Natalie was absolutly mesmerizing, funny, educational about long lost poets and just facinating to watch as she performed. Fantastic backing group of musicians as well... and my friend got to give her a big hug as she sang "Thank You" @ the end of the show!!! A truely gratious and charming woman

Natalie was fantastic. What a beautiful voice... She really enjoys entertaining and sharing with the audience. I have more respect for her now than ever. Love her sense of humor...

It was our fist time at Strathmore Music Center and were amazed at how beautiful and intimate the venue was. It was also my first time seeing Natalie Merchant live and her voice sounds even better in person. So textured and nuanced. She made the event feel very personal and intimate, even though we were surrounded by 3000 people. It was my 7 year old daughter's first concert ever, and she was in awe! She loved every minute of it. Almost got an entire second show out of the amazing encore performance! What a fantastic night!

I would only recommend the show to diehard Natalie fans who have become familiar with her new CD. Although I liked it, the people I went with, who were less familiar with this work, found it ego-centric and self-indulgent.

I was a little nervous when I saw the description of her latest album, but the show was fabulous. She obviously has put her heart and soul into the Leave Your Sleep. I knew her voice was amazing, but natalie is also very intelligent and funny. The musicians were excellent. After singing many songs from Leave Your Sleep, she did a very long encore. Great show.

thought it was amazing. hadn't heard new album but thought she did a great job of presenting it.

Wow! The music center was a great place to see Natalie Merchant. Acoustics were phenomenal, and she talked about all of her new songs.

Where were the hits. I paid to see Rock, not some folksie, self indulgent lecture. A few songs were good, but only a few.

First part of show is entirely from her new album. I didn't realize the concept was converting poetry for children into songs. Music and lyrics were very nicely done. Band tight, sound quality was excellent, very crisp. Those people who run out to be the first out of the parking lot really got burned. The encore was about half a concert of her greatest hits. Nice!

Natalie Merchant has gone soft, which is okay, we all grow up. But seeing her perform not only the songs from the new album (which are mostly soft and sleepy), but also some of the great older tunes at a theatre-style venue was such a disappointment. It was so stuffy and akward, and even when I felt the urge to dance, sing along, clap, or scream her name, I held back. Ultimately, this restraint made the concert boring and left a bad taste in my mouth for the Strathmore, which is a better venue for orchestras, ballets, and musicals.

The show was great. Natalie was charming, and playful with the guests arriving late. Older hits were played during the encore.

Natalie Merchants performance, was fantastic, it was not however, strictly speaking a rock concert, it was a performance which was part theater, part personal revelation, partly just an homage to poets, children, and life itself. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Nice collection of children's poems put to music. Not at all the Natalie show I was expecting. Her voice is STRONG and the arrangements great, but I don't see who her intended audience is. Not me... Additional comments about the venue: Don't believe the 'best available' button when buying tickets online. Do a little pre research yourself. While the acoustics are phenominal at Strathmore, the seating chart is not.