An evening with Celine Dion - Live at Edison Ballroom NYC 10/29/2013

[CelinesDIVO5]

 

 

Again I think you're exaggerating things too much. Céline does not put on her shows. She's not the creative director, she never picks the songs she wants to sing. She just arrives to rehearse and does the vocals. She said this a billion times, she only cares to sing, the rest is others job and she delegates on them.

 

How much do you think she rehearsed for Les Plaines concert? She arrived there to do a couple of rehearsals, maybe half an hour, and that's it. She doesn't need to learn the songs, she doesn't need to play the guitar or the keyboards. She just sings (and she's been singing the same songs for 15 years in her concerts).

 

Honestly, how much rehearsal do you think she needs for the french mini tour? She's going to sing the same setlist they did in Quebec in july, probably at the 95%, and you know it.

 

You think that just because she's done these songs before, she doesn't have to rehearse?! She rehearsed for a month for the TCWT. If she wanted to do AND again after this show, she would need to rehearse it. She's not a robot.

[gafsa]

I wouldn't care if she sang Tire L'aiguille, I would've loved being there.

 

That would be more interesting

[ehild]

For this type of event, it really is geared towards her career and fanbase over the last 30+ years. At first, yes I was disappointed. I was thinking there would be more songs from the album since that's the current promotion she's doing & it was advertised that way, to some extent, with the contest, the posters outside, etc. However, this concert: being such a small, intimate affair for fans who subscribe to Celine Dion Radio, it's meant to be more of an unplugged event that focuses on her career overall, not just the new album. Given that, I'm ok with the setlist they chose. Granted, she does have a huge repertoire to choose from, with her busy schedule these songs are the most rehearsed right now without having to cut too much into everyone's personal schedules outside of show & promotion scheduling (for the band, singers, etc. not just Celine). We should all be grateful they even did this. We've been asking for something like this for so long. There's an expression: don't bite the hand that feeds you! To be so close and in such an intimate setting, are we really going to nit-pick everything to death?

[donpi86]

You think that just because she's done these songs before, she doesn't have to rehearse?! She rehearsed for a month for the TCWT. If she wanted to do AND again after this show, she would need to rehearse it. She's not a robot.

 

Javito and you are taking this overreacted... so Celine rehearse one month for a WORLD TOUR with a whole new stage, lights, effects, cameras, and months of working... as she can be rehearsing for for months for AND and for this Vegas show before the opening night..... But this... or the Paris concerts... doesn't need that rehearsing because it is a copycat of Les plaines and the actual show...she is not doing nothing new... maybe including SLS or LMBTL or WAAF... but nothing more... We are not going to see a LMBTL album concert...

The point is that she has wanted to be resting and enjoying family time and yes... maybe 4 hours per day rehearsing this TV appearences or this new songs... but don't tell me she works 8/9 hours per day rehearsing for paris minitour during a month)... and the three day promos... seruously... that was a week work.. and Celine only stay there and answer questions... it is tired... but not impossible...

[nystrele]

Okay guys, so the day went like this....

 

 

Christine and Jamie were at The Edison Ballroom by 11:30am. (My @ss was not going to be there that early as I had been up for over 36 hours between work on Sunday, The Today Show, and TRYING to get into Jimmy Fallon, and stalking her hotel...the latter 3 which happened on Monday..me, a zombie with 25 minutes of sleep.) I met with Christine, Jamie, Matt #2, and Valentina around 4:30pm, Tal arrived around 6:15. Matt #2 was very good at charming some of The Edison Ballroom's staff to make them aware that "Hey, we love Celine and we're right here if you want to let us in!" So, we decided we were not going to leave until the doors were totally closed off and they had let everyone that had won the contests in. I eventually grew the balls to get Patrick's attention, and he was a little busy and said he'd be back out shortly. He came out a few times, but it was only to bring press and record execs in, so I never got to speak with him. I spoke to Chuck Taylor (Hey buddy!) and got a photo with him, and he felt bad that we weren't able to get in because he knows that we all love Celine as much as he does. Anyway, all 7 of us were standing outside by ourselves by 7pm, which was when the show was supposed to start. Matt #2 had noticed that one of the Pandora people he spoke to was talking to 2 other girls about us. Then she went inside, and 5 minutes later there was a Columbia Records exec outside asking if we were fans...to which we all replied "YES!!!" and he unhooked the velvet rope to let us in, while one of the Pandora employees said "No, we were told not to do this..." and he turned around and said "They are fans, and they are coming in!" All 7 of us got in!!! The venue was serving hors de ouvres and there was an open bar...champagne was definitely a must at this point. We felt like the luckiest people in the world. And the best part is we got in as honest fans...just for being fans. Which is a whole lot more than I can say for other people...but I digress. Celine made her entrance through the crowd. I'm not going to go through every song because you all already know the setlist. But I am going to say, that she has these new songs NAILED. I am so surprised at how well she is tackling them when this is the first time she's actually singing them live (with the exception of LMBTL). It was such a euphoric experience. We all of course waited for Celine outside of the venue, and she signed some autographs, one of them being my poster that was handed out after the concert. I am still in shock that this even happened to us. We were all ready to leave when they decided to let us in. I feel like I put some good energy out there when I took my jacket off and mustered up the courage to talk to Patrick...even though it didn't happen. And Matt #2 was fantastic at shmoozing the staff at The Edison. It was such a wonderful night, and it was so much better in the fact that I got to share it with 6 other amazing people.

 

 

 

Now...for my critique on the posts I've read since concert info has been revealed in previous posts. I am so over some of you being so damned negative!!! It's like you have your own personal black clouds to bring to this forum. Are you EVER happy with anything that Celine does?!?! So many of you are lacking so much joy!!! This was a promo for the album...not a listening party. She did a FREE concert ..which was more than an hour long from start to finish. AND sang all 3 of the new songs that she performed LIVE..and did them AMAZINGLY. Of course she's going to sing some of her older popular songs. That's what singers do!! She could have farted into the microphone for all I care...it was free, and in an intimate setting, which we have ALL wanted her to do for so long. Some of you are just never happy with the big picture and you have to nit pick at small, asinine details. Cry a river, build a bridge and get the hell over it. "I'm really disappointed in the set list"...really?!?! How about noticing how happy she was in those videos to have all those fans so close to her, and how much fun she was having performing in such an intimate setting. Have some of you become so jaded that you can't even notice the positive of the things this woman does anymore?? Sometimes, reading posts here makes me nauseous and that's really sad, because we should come here to celebrate her. Not take her down.

 

SO THRILLED you guys got in! bravo to the sony exec for ushering you into heaven!

couldn't agree more with your assessment about so much whining and nitpicking about the show. it was HEAVEN to see celine, hear celine, experience the music and see her having a great time in a smaller venue outside of vegas.

do i give a whip that she DIDN'T SING THIS or SANG THIS OLD SONG? nope!! the show was full of unexpected surprises and i savored every moment. when she roared into "where does my heart beat now," i starting crying me a river! it was a spectacular event!

hugs,

=ct=

[CelinesDIVO5]

 

 

Javito and you are taking this overreacted... so Celine rehearse one month for a WORLD TOUR with a whole new stage, lights, effects, cameras, and months of working... as she can be rehearsing for for months for AND and for this Vegas show before the opening night..... But this... or the Paris concerts... doesn't need that rehearsing because it is a copycat of Les plaines and the actual show...she is not doing nothing new... maybe including SLS or LMBTL or WAAF... but nothing more... We are not going to see a LMBTL album concert...

The point is that she has wanted to be resting and enjoying family time and yes... maybe 4 hours per day rehearsing this TV appearences or this new songs... but don't tell me she works 8/9 hours per day rehearsing for paris minitour during a month)... and the three day promos... seruously... that was a week work.. and Celine only stay there and answer questions... it is tired... but not impossible...

 

You just proved my point. They made this show as simple as possible on purpose. They did the right thing.

[Tyler1991]

So for much of the Vegas run she has had a relatively standard version of LCMM that has actually been pretty decent, but she changed it up slightly in a few parts here. Don't really care for it. But better than TCWT.

 

Okay, and RDMH! Wow, way better than usual up until the bridge until she decided to not do the high note and instead replace it with something similar to what she did when she sang it in 96-98, and maybe it was the bad bootleg quality but I swear she fully belted out the "cry" note for the first time since Europe 2008.

[donpi86]

too simple... but I like how she enjoyed it...

[mirage]

Yeah MHWGO...

 

You can say what you want, but the audience loved it and she even didn't sang the first words... ;-)

 

I loved it, she can do that intro on her shows to... oh no we have a dress change then... haha

[Chin]

I'm surprised she didn't even sing Somebody Loves Somebody which she just sang at Today Show that morning or the morning before

[Xpresso]

I'm surprised she didn't even sing Somebody Loves Somebody which she just sang at Today Show that morning or the morning before

Yes, but on the Today Show, it wasn't with her band. That's why I think they just didn't have time to rehearse it with her band for the NYC Show...

[Peppercorn1991]

http://music-mix.ew.com/2013/10/30/on-the-scene-celine-dion-loved-me-back-to-life/

 

Kev x

[ehild]

I'm surprised she didn't even sing Somebody Loves Somebody which she just sang at Today Show that morning or the morning before

I am surprised about this one as well. I thought for sure she'd want to do this one......she seems to love it so much & she did awesome on the Today show with it. Who knows. Overall, I think it was a great show! Very unplugged. I love how she changed up RDMH, LCMM, & MHWGO......maybe we'll see something similar for the shows coming up in Europe?

[Davey84]

http://music-mix.ew.com/2013/10/30/on-the-scene-celine-dion-loved-me-back-to-life/

 

Kev x

 

 

HUH WHAT?!?! HOLD YOUR HORSES!!!

 

(QVC will also air the concert Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., and offer a specially packaged version of the new album that includes five additional bonus tracks.)

 

Ok first... cool it will be aired!!

 

Second... 5 extra bonus songs?!!?!?!?! That sounds too good to be true!!!

 

 

 

 

[Jeff Abbott]

I'm gonna flip out if that turns out to be true and we'll be getting 5 bonus tracks. fingers crossed these will be new songs

[Jessyka]

5 new songs?

 

That would be amazing!

[ehild]

HUH WHAT?!?! HOLD YOUR HORSES!!!

 

(QVC will also air the concert Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., and offer a specially packaged version of the new album that includes five additional bonus tracks.)

 

Ok first... cool it will be aired!!

 

Second... 5 extra bonus songs?!!?!?!?! That sounds too good to be true!!!

I'm definitely recording this! Why did he have to call her acapella opening to MHWGO to a beautiful glorified whale mating call? LOL That isn't exactly the description I'd use but I guess it works......??

[CelineDionForeverNY]

I'm excited about five bonus tracks... but I really think it's just covers from Vegas: HDYKTMP, Lullabye, Open Arms, RITD, and Paganini.

[littleames]

I'm definitely recording this! Why did he have to call her acapella opening to MHWGO to a beautiful glorified whale mating call? LOL That isn't exactly the description I'd use but I guess it works......??

Sex sells

[ehild]

Let's keep in mind guys.....we're talking about Sony here. The album was originally supposed to be half covers. I'd love 5 new songs but I wouldn't be surprised if it's the deluxe edition +3 songs (including Open Arms as is on the Japanese version). Given that I'd be willing to be bet the other two are Vegas songs.

[ehild]

Sex sells

Touche

[littleames]

Let's keep in mind guys.....we're talking about Sony here. The album was originally supposed to be half covers. I'd love 5 new songs but I wouldn't be surprised if it's the deluxe edition +3 songs (including Open Arms as is on the Japanese version). Given that I'd be willing to be bet the other two are Vegas songs.

Probably right. I highly doubt it's all new, never before heard songs lol! Even thought that would be AHMAZING!

[ehild]

Probably right. I highly doubt it's all new, never before heard songs lol! Even thought that would be AHMAZING!

Yes it would be! If it is the Vegas songs, I probably won't order that edition. I'd rather wait for a DVD/live CD of the Vegas show to get all of those. (I'm assuming at some point they'll release something like this) However, I will DVR this concert. Maybe they're holding out on that US DVD (we've heard about but haven't seen yet) with the album to include this concert in addition to the sessions?? One can dream........... It would be a cool bonus feature on something or if they included that as a bonus with QVC.

[Jessyka]

I'm excited about five bonus tracks... but I really think it's just covers from Vegas: HDYKTMP, Lullabye, Open Arms, RITD, and Paganini.

I agree.

But I'm not gonna lie, I wish we could hear Climb Every Mountain.

[CelinesDIVO5]

I'm definitely recording this! Why did he have to call her acapella opening to MHWGO to a beautiful glorified whale mating call? LOL That isn't exactly the description I'd use but I guess it works......??

 

ummm..who said that? lol...that was actually the best part of the night!!!

[ehild]

I'm excited about five bonus tracks... but I really think it's just covers from Vegas: HDYKTMP, Lullabye, Open Arms, RITD, and Paganini.

Idk about RITD since Adele is so known with this song already (it her song after all....lol). Maybe it will be Goldfinger or one of the other ones from the Bond medley?

[ehild]

ummm..who said that? lol...that was actually the best part of the night!!!

It's in the Entertainment Weekly article talking about the concert and the upcoming QVC airing of the concert (plus something about 5 bonus songs on the QVC edition!). I think Kev posted the link above.

[LuisMa]

Billboard has reviewed last night's concert:

 

Celine Dion Loves Fans 'Back to Life' at Intimate NYC Show: Review by Andrew Hampp

 

Watching Celine Dion play to a crowd one-twentieth of the size she sells out some 100 nights a year in Las Vegas Tuesday night was not unlike watching LeBron James nail an hour's worth of slam dunks during a private session.

 

Dion performed an intimate concert for Pandora Presents at Manhattan's Edison Ballroom, attended mostly by Pandora listeners from the New York Tri-State area who've created a Celine Dion station or thumbed-up one of her songs. The invite-only audience was a noticeable fraction of the venue's 1,200-person capacity, making it the smallest U.S. concert Dion has performed in decades, if not ever. The gig was in support of new album "Loved Me Back To Life" (out Nov. 5), but it was really a chance to showcase many of her biggest hits to a room full of hardcore fans who would never otherwise be within an un-zoomed Instagram's distance from the diva.

 

Celine Dion Shows Edge, and Tries Out New

Characters, on 'Loved Me Back to Life'

 

Dion opened with a one-two punch of "It's All Coming Back To Me Now/The Power Of Love" medley, immediately followed by other hits like the rarely performed "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" and the venerable "Because You Loved Me," during which Dion invited the crowd to join her on the last chorus. She unpacked a few of her Vegas theatrics later on for show staples like "River Deep, Mountain High" and her hit cover of Eric Carmen's "All By Myself," attacking each high note with an athletic precision. She Catholic-crossed herself with a fist at one point after nailing a particularly epic melodic lift, and pounded on an invisible drum kit for another, making liberal use of the diva finger wave for every melismatic phrase.

 

 

 

Mid-way through the set, Dion thanked the crowd for supporting her over the years and being patient for "Loved Me Back To Life," her first English-language album in six years, prompting one fan to shout "That's too long!" Dion politely retorted, in her welcoming French-Canadian inflection, "Well I had two babies and a French album and a Vegas show I've been busy!"

 

Dion played three selections from the album, including first single "Loved Me Back To Life," whose Sia-penned vocal and lyrics were already a favorite among the crowd. Fans swayed their hands up and down during the dramatic chorus, a movement more common at a Skrillex show than something you'd expect from Celine Dion. Next was her rendition of "Water And A Flame," a duet originally recorded by Daniel Merriweather and Adele that Dion impressively turns into her own gin-soaked breakup ballad. A cover of Janis Ian's "At Seventeen" was slightly less well-received, accompanied by a high volume of crowd chatter more akin to an indie-rock opener at Webster Hall.

 

 

 

Luckily, Dion knew how to earn the crowd's attention, revisiting 1997's ridiculously pedigreed power ballad "The Reason" (written by Carole King, produced by George Martin) to surprisingly rapturous response. Many fans sung along to every word of the opener to "Let's Talk About Love," Dion's second best-selling album, despite its never being released as an official single or performed during her Vegas show.

 

But she saved her most enthralling moment for the very end, encoring with the anticipated "My Heart Will Go On." It's a song that Dion has performed thousands of times on world tours and a decade of shows at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace, an historic run that has grossed nearly a half-billion dollars in ticket sales since March 2003. But Dion made the Pandora performance unique with a flourish that could only be appreciated from the hushed volume of a small club. By re-creating the "Titanic" theme's iconic flute introduction using just her voice, Dion brought a pin-drop silence to a room that had been buzzing just seconds prior. For a song that's been so inescapable for some 16 years, Dion could still bring new layers of depth and emotion no chest-thumping required.

 

Celine's Setlist:

 

It's All Coming Back To Me Now

The Power of Love

Where Does My Heart Beat Now

Because You Loved Me

The Reason

Water and a Flame

Loved Me Back To Life

At Seventeen

All By Myself

Love Can Move Mountains

River Deep Mountain High

My Heart Will Go On

 

 

Source: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/5770715/celine-dion-nyc-edison-ballroom-live-review

 

Edited October 30, 2013 at 06:55 PM by LuisMa

[CelinesDIVO5]

WOW BILLBOARD!!! THAT WAS A PHENOMENAL REVIEW!!!

[ehild]

That's an amazing Billboard review!! I love this description for MHWGO than EW's.