Celine is part of Today Show's Summer Concert Series 2016

[ryba]

I love what they did in NY, she was herself and thats good. Aldo is a great manager.

[dodobird]

SNL!!! Yes PLEASE!

[anewdayhascome]

I have very mixed feelings about all of this.

 

The attitude was there.

The voice was there.

The smile and laughter were there.

The power was there.

The look was there. (even though the outfit for the performance was awful, the rehearsal outfit was much better)

Positive media coverage was there.

 

And yet the concert itself was very very mediocre. And... boring.

 

Alas, many bad things happened.

 

Firstly, it was an unexpected gig outside Vegas. Well, exactly, OUTSIDE Vegas, so why be so lazy and not creative at all and bring (almost) the same setlist from Vegas... ? This concert just proves how they can do something extraordinary (the mini tour setlist) and ruin this creative moment and come back to their old ways... Seriously, if you were Celine, would you rather do the same setlist you do every night or something very different just to have fun? It was a perfect opportunity to break with the routine and go with the flow after including so many rare French songs in the French tour...

 

Secondly, the worst thing happened, the one that I had been SO afraid of. You all know how much I adore ANDHC, right? And TTWII and IA are close to the top too. And I adore the acoustic medley from Vegas... And I liked how she sang it in NYC... BUT again we are witnessing "big Celine hits falling into a trap" process. I had been so afraid that those three amazing songs can become new TPOL/IACBTMN/BYLM/TLYM or IACBTMN/TPOL or LCMM/RDMH, a new medley that may prove disastrous, the one we begin to hate, the one which begins to be boring in the long run. This performance surely was one step closer to this process. I don't understand why they can't differentiate between performing Vegas setlist and sth else as far as English songs are concerned. After all she could have performed ANDHC/TTWII/IA separately, in full, or at least ONE of them in full. And then it would be special, not another "Vegas" reedition. I'm really worried, not even about this particular mini concert, but future performances that it will become a norm and that we might not hear them in full, never again...

 

And, of course BYLM sounded GREAT live but with the acoustic medley and SOTR (random cover not even associated with Celine) it was almost as if they brought Vegas there. And before you say anything, it's not that she is promoting Vegas show, to attract people by singing the SAME songs the same WAY she does them in Vegas. Actually it's the other way round cause many American people have seen the show and will know that there is nothing new to see, so why go again? She should do something unique for a concert like this. Something that would make a person really wanna go there...

 

Yes, she did WAAF which is not in the show. But ... well, it was such a random choice, not even a single in the US, not even performed here before (only in Antwerp/Paris in 2013)... And she messed it up... I'm not even saying it's a cover, cause I have never heard the original and I don't consider it as a cover but for the general public it's definitely not a song associated with Celine. Somebody Loves Somebody would have worked much better.

 

And I still can't figure out why they wanted to put a word about Encore un soir, to comment on it and not sing it. The weirdest promo for an album ever.

 

Someway i thought she was playing it save again by singing the same Vegas songs again. When you shout out there is a new French album coming out why not singing at least Encore un soir? Missed chance. Because you loved me..in Paris she really took chances.

 

 

Exactly. Either sing those songs, do those interviews and don't talk about the French album or JUST sing Encore un soir.

 

Loved her singing along with that bit of Think Twice, and looking so happy! I don't think she expected to hear Think Twice on an American show.

It also caught my eye! It was so cute! and she looked so happy singing along it . She remembered the words... Bring it back Celine!

 

Well.............

They are playing all her songs for the segways and ..... So much she could have done.

True... Hopefully next time

 

 

It's good she appeared on TV and gave so many interviews. But did she have to answer the questions using the same words and expressions all the time? Thank God she sang some random songs or did some jokes because those speeches could have brought up the playback argument

[québecflower]

who's doing playback here...?

[anewdayhascome]

who's doing playback here...?

 

What I meant was that her answers were so identical during the interviews that one could think that those answers were playback

[CelineDionFreak]

Honestly, I'm thinking they had planned to do something special but couldn't. Remember someone said their friend was a part of the strings for the today show performance but then the strings ensemble was cut? I'm thinking she may have done some other songs, possibly even EUS. If they had been planning that, and since the strings were cut at the last few days, then maybe they were forced to go to what they're familiar with in English, which explains BYLM and ANDHC/TTWII/IA.

[Alex_Incognito]

It's so annoying how everyone has to giggle before they read french words especially when they've seen all three words before.

 

This concert lacked energy. An acoustic medley in an open air concert falls flat. She should have done something more pop. WAAF was a true disaster...it must have been Nov 2013 since she last sang it.

 

I'm sure the Celine I see in Montreal in Sunday night will be in form. I hate that non french speakers only see this goofy side of Celine when she is really much more thoughtful and intelligent than that.

[CSCfan]

This concert lacked energy. An acoustic medley in an open air concert falls flat. She should have done something more pop. WAAF was a true disaster...it must have been Nov 2013 since she last sang it.

 

I'm sure the Celine I see in Montreal in Sunday night will be in form. I hate that non french speakers only see this goofy side of Celine when she is really much more thoughtful and intelligent than that.

 

I agree it lacked energy. She should'vd done at least one uptempo song (at least she didn't do LCMM though). Whether this is on purpose or not (I think it is), but they're (slowly) trying to show another side to Céline as an artist. When can you recall she did an acoustic session in front of a big TV audience? It's been ages ago. She always performs to a tape or do a copy version of a song. For the general audience, this is a side of Céline they never or rarely see. Same goes for SOTR..just her voice and the piano. BYLM or any other big hit (MHWGO/TPOL etc) was a given. This is the Céline most people love. WAAF was the odd choice, but hey...at least it was odd and not LCMM or any other song she performed a zillion times.

 

And I agree, of the 4 songs (counting the medley as 1), she could've done EUS. That's really the only disappointment for me

 

Also, hate that non-French speakers only see her goofy side? It's the one side they haven't really seen of her. And the one side that is making her a "hit"/popular/"cool" again right now. I've always find it a shame only the Francophone world saw her goofy and experimental/real side, but now she's finally showing it to the other half of her career. Finally.

Edited July 26, 2016 at 09:24 PM by CSCfan

[Balao]

 

Also, hate that non-French speakers only see her goofy side? It's the one side they haven't really seen of her. And the one side that is making her a "hit"/popular/"cool" again right now. I've always find it a shame only the Francophone world saw her goofy and experimental/real side, but now she's finally showing it to the other half of her career. Finally.

 

I don't quite agree. I remember an old interview on Ellen in which Céline crawled and sang "La Bohème" at the same time, fell off her seat and made Ellen stutter.

[fred]

It was so refreching to see this. Reminds me why I am a fan. Good song selection! Nice honest and grounded interview.

Wow I'm humbled by her,,,

 

I'm not sure I watched the entire concert though.... she sang BYLM, the medley and OTR in what I saw but then I found a clip of WAAF..... Was that a treat given later and cut from the first broadcast? Are there more songs I missed?

 

/fred

[Xpresso]

Well she was promoting Vegas and mentioned Encore un soir while doing so... it's not like she was there just to promote EUS...

[chocolatechip15]

I don't quite agree. I remember an old interview on Ellen in which Céline crawled and sang "La Bohème" at the same time, fell off her seat and made Ellen stutter.

 

Yeah, she was goofy every time she was on Rosie, too, in the 90's. She's a goofball in French or English - just needs the right partner.

[DionFanAlways]

Yeah, she was goofy every time she was on Rosie, too, in the 90's. She's a goofball in French or English - just needs the right partner.

Yes this is true. Someone to play the straight man.

[DionFanAlways]

Well she was promoting Vegas and mentioned Encore un soir while doing so... it's not like she was there just to promote EUS...

True. She talked about EUS 1,000 x's more than SA on American tv. She even talked about Jean-Jacques during Kathie Lee! With SA she and the interviewers would only say, "oh you recorded a album in another language" !

 

This is a BIG step for them!

Edited July 27, 2016 at 01:41 AM by DionFanAlways

[québecflower]

True. She talked about EUS 1,000 x's more than SA on American tv. She even talked about Jean-Jacques during Kathie Lee! With SA she and the interviewers would only say, "oh you recorded a album in another language" !

 

This is a BIG step for them!

they played snippetd of it, it is awsome... and they seemed to care, quite the evolution.

[Alex_Incognito]

 

 

Also, hate that non-French speakers only see her goofy side? It's the one side they haven't really seen of her. And the one side that is making her a "hit"/popular/"cool" again right now. I've always find it a shame only the Francophone world saw her goofy and experimental/real side, but now she's finally showing it to the other half of her career. Finally.

I've been a fan for over 20 years. I assure you, people have seen her goofy side.

[stone]

I didn't even bother listening to WAAF. Like she said back in '13 she gets to play a character and pretend to be this person. She's not that person. It just feels so inauthentic for her to sing this song and it just doesn't register sincerity to me and apparently the audience or sales. Also I don't like the writer!

[CSCfan]

I don't quite agree. I remember an old interview on Ellen in which Céline crawled and sang "La Bohème" at the same time, fell off her seat and made Ellen stutter.

 

Sure.. But that was just one of those few moments. Ellen, Rosie... and of course, she did an acoustic part during the LTAL tour. But it now seems much more integral to her career and her new? image.

 

 

I've been a fan for over 20 years. I assure you, people have seen her goofy side.

 

Then tell me why so many people/celebrities have been commenting (and are surprised) this past week they never knew she's so funny/is such a goof ball/has such a dry sense of humour?

 

The fans knew all along, the Francophone world knew, but most of her Anglophone audience didn't. Sure, she was acting crazy the odd time, but most of the times it was all about serious (family) matters, etc.

Edited July 27, 2016 at 08:01 AM by CSCfan

[manu23]

I don't understand the negativity around WAAF, it's a great song and Celine does it perfectly live, sure there were some lyrics issues but if it weren't for that I would have though it was playback, at some parts it sounded as in the cd!

 

I'm not such a big fan of the acoustic medley, but in general I don't like acoustics, SOTR on the contrary

[Balao]

 

The fans knew all along, the Francophone world knew, but most of her Anglophone audience didn't. Sure, she was acting crazy the odd time, but most of the times it was all about serious (family) matters, etc.

 

She can be both. That's what I like about her. She can be serious and crazy at times. That's very healthy, I think. That shows she's a deep person.

[isurrender]

What's wrong with you guys criticizing the set?

 

It was a free show for TV...come on : what would you have chosen? For me, it was perfect.

 

I'm sorry to say this because I'm the one judging the most but this time, I don't get you AT ALL. You're never happy.

 

If she had sung LCMM, you would have critize.

 

She sang something new (WAAF)... that's a "random choice".

She sang SOTR...that's a "random cover".

She sang "I'm alive" ( big flop in the U.S.)...that was flat and too short.

 

OH MY GOD!

 

There was something for everybody : BYLM ( for the not hardore fans), WAAF ( for the fans), SOTR ( finally...one of the biggest highlights of her Vegas show shown to everybody) and the medley (some forgotten tracks back to TV and a way for her to try to reach the audience instead of singing on her own like a robot).

 

WAAF was a bit of a mess , yes...but she is so "musicaly smart" ! She felt she couldn't do the note in the bridge and she changed it ...and what a way to do it.

 

And don't forget that if she didn"t sing "Encore un soir", it's maybe because of the producers of the show.

Edited July 27, 2016 at 11:45 AM by isurrender

[vincentbonvegna]

If you wish to download I share some links...

 

Celine Dion - 2016-07-22 - NBC - Tonight Show - HD-720p

 

Celine Dion - 2016-07-22 - NBC - Today Show - HD-720p

 

Céline Dion - 2016-07-22 - GDMX - TMZ - HD-720p

 

Celine Dion - 2016-07-22 - NBC - Today Talk - HD-720p

 

Thank you so much!

[enno2007]

I try to not get sucked into any debates, just enjoy reading some good posts, getting information - and commenting from my time to time when I no longer can bite my tongue .

 

So, I must say that I don't understand your full-on criticism, anewdayhascome. Personally, I also would have preferred other songs, but the whole point of the Today Show Summer Concerts is to give the average passer-by or the person who watches breakfast TV something to get started nicely into the day. Therefore, songs must be known, must be a bit diverse. Considering these constraints, Celine didn't have much of a choice other than wheeling out some of her hits + a well-known cover - and why not taking bits from the Vegas show that work in this setting?

 

Regarding the repetition in the interviews, hardly any regular viewer will have seen the whole thing, and it is common among stars to repeat the same stories etc over and over again. This may not be nice for a fan watching it all, but regular viewers won't notice.

 

I am all in favour of being critical, but being critical just for the sake of it, without considering the context, is in my view unfair.

 

I know that isurrender has said something similar. I just wanted to stress this again, to support his comment .

Edited July 27, 2016 at 04:24 PM by enno2007

[Jamieb12321]

The pics are celine signing my pass and the link for the full soundcheck I took live

https://www.facebook.com/jamie.bainum/videos/1794340297476057/

[DionFanAlways]

https://www.facebook.com/100008979753493/videos/1551067011869276/

 

https://www.facebook.com/anne.davalos/videos/1348118068537061/

 

I would have loved to have been there, these moments are soooo gooood!

[Javito]

Interesting how they played songs from ANDHC album in the back, first when they introduced Céline to the audience (I'm Alive) and then after the commercials, Right In Front Of You

[nuts2you]

 

Not sure where to put this,

[québecflower]

 

Not sure where to put this,

it is quite a change from : I'm not afraid of losing my voice, i have something better...

 

i know it is not the same but the tone has changed.

[LVCeline]

I thought her performances were awesome! I actually loved that she did the acoustic medley, I didn't think it was low energy at all. Loved her outfit, her hair and makeup, the song choice, it was all perfect. I wasn't expecting Over the Rainbow, I think it was very fitting and lovely. She flubbed the lyrics of Water and a Flame about 14 times but if you didn't know the song you probably won't notice, I think she still did a great job on the singing part. I loved in BYLM her recovery when she couldn't hold that longer note towards the end, it was great. People still absolutely love her, that's obvious. I am loving the person she's become since Rene's passing. I thought she would be a disaster for a while, but she is holding her head higher than ever and making decisions about her career that are bringing her all sorts of attention. I think people respect her more than ever.

[Tyler1991]

Imagine how amazing it could have been if she had sung lmbtl in place of waaf. Talk about the performance we always wanted.