Jann Arden – Jubilee Auditorium. Calgary, Alberta. 1.22.04
Posted by Jason Clevett on 02.11.2004
Comedy & Tragedy at its finest.
Over the past decade plus Jann Arden has become one of the best singer/songwriters the great white north has produced, second only to Sarah McLachlan. Unfortunately aside from her 1994 hit “Insensitive” Arden has had difficulty breaking into the US market. It’s a shame because she is truly multi-talented and a brilliant live performer. Many American artists have taken note of her, and she has opened on Canadian tours for Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and recently The Dixie Chicks. On a 5-week tour to promote her new CD “Love Is The Only Soldier” Arden played a sold out hometown crowd with opening act Emm Gryner.
Gryner’s acoustic set showcased not only her vocal talent but also her skill on the guitar and especially the keyboard. Using mostly tracks from her current CD “Asianblue” which was nominated for a Juno Award in 2002. A “little tart named Avril Lavigne” she joked stole the award from her. The crowd enjoyed the set, but seemed to have difficulty keeping their composure when they were offered a choice between final songs. Choosing Def Leppards “Pour Some Sugar On Me” over Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” proved to nearly be Gryner’s undoing. Stripped down to a slow ballad, lines like “I’m hot sticky sweet from my head to my feet” seemed to strike the crowds’ funny bone.
“Can you guys not laugh or I’ll never get through this” the former backup singer for David Bowie chuckled. It wasn’t mean spirited laughter, but seemingly more just such a drastic change from the original that those who were familiar with it had to giggle. In truth, the song is a beautiful rendition and can be found on “Girl Versions.” Gryner’s official website is www.emmgryner.com
As for Arden herself, she truly is one of the most unique performers in the music industry. Kicking off with “I Just Don’t Love You Anymore” off of her “Time for Mercy” disc, what followed was two hours of songs from her current album along with some unique selections. Dusting off some material she hasn’t played in quite a while, Arden thrilled longtime fans with tracks like “Ode To A Friend,” “Waiting In Canada” “Gasoline” and “Wishing That” all of which are great songs that weren’t singles.
But the singles were there. She introduced each band member and did acoustic versions of “Could I Be Your Girl,” “I Would Die For You” and “Insensitive.”
As fantastic as the music is, what also makes Jann special is her ability to connect with her audience through her crass and brilliant sense of humor. One can’t help but feel bad for her parents (who were sitting in the audience), as her impressions of them are hysterically funny yet so down home. She brought up people she knew were in the audience (“I swear I know the entire front row.) and reflected back on growing up in Springbank, Alberta just outside of Calgary.
“The kids used to call it Spermbank. Those were the bastards from Cochrane and Balzac!” she quipped between songs. Her guitarist Russell Broom is almost always her comedic foil.
“Russ just had a baby,” she told the crowd. “It’s weird because we all totally thought you were gay!”
“So did I” grumbled a male voice a few feet behind me.
Another highlight of the night was when she broke out the popular “Stump the band” segment. Bits of AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell,” ABBA’s “Mama Mia” and a decidedly raunchy version of “Desperado” and a kid’s song, which brought about a new train of thought.
“My nephew is here with his girlfriend. I taught him a song when he was a little kid, and I never understood why my Mom would get so mad at me. The song was called ‘Toot Toot Fuck Off.’”
Gryner joined Arden onstage for “Four Feet Deep” off of “Love Is The Only Soldier.” The show relied heavily on the new material, which is some of her best work. “Ruby Red” “If You Loved Me” “Only One” and the title track were all featured. She closed the first set with “Good Mother.” After a standing ovation she did a touching tribute to Karen Carpenter, covering “Top of The World.”
The show ended with a new song that she had recently written as a thank you to her rabidly loyal fan base.
“I want you to know that I wouldn’t be here doing what I do without you. You pay my phone bill, buy the food on my table, and buy my tampax. Thank you,” she said before playing the song and leaving her friends, family and fans happy.
The 411: Jann Arden, simply put, is brilliant. You cannot walk out of her concert not utterly in love with her. As one of my companions said “I liked her music but didn’t consider myself a big fan until now. I would see her again.” If Arden ever decides to give up music and pursue comedy instead she could make the adjustment easily. Where some bands rely on gimmicks, Arden simply makes you feel like you are a friend as she shares stories musically and verbally that range from amusing to heartbreaking. Last spring she did a run at New York’s Studio 54 too much smaller crowds then what she plays in Canada. If you hear that she is playing near you, I have one word for you. GO. You won’t be disappointed. Check her out at www.jannarden.com
