Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Yellowcard - KNOCKOUT Women's T-shirt, Chocolate

Yellowcard is a rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Their music can be classified as pop punk, and contains elements of emocore. A distinct characteristic of the music of Yellowcard is their use of a violin, making them somewhat unique within this genre


If you haven't seen Lara Fabian perform live, you are missing a lot. Blessed with a beautiful voice and exceptional songwriting ability makes Lara a joy to listen to. But her talents are not restricted to the ear only. It is a true joy to watch her perform live on stage. One of the biggest reasons why her live shows are such a success is due to the fact that she makes the audience part of the show. Many artists consume all the attention during a live show and leave no participation to the audience. Shows like these are one-way shows, you sit back listen and watch and go home. With Lara Fabian it's different, you feel like you are part of the stage performance. It is not strange when the crowd almost completely sings Je T'aime when Lara performs that specific song. This was seen during her Nue tour and you will almost get this phenomenon during any live performance when she sings Je T'aime. The best of all is the fact that Lara doesn't mind to give the spotlight once in a while to the crowd.

Her live shows are a whole mix of all sorts of entertainment. She adds a bit of humor in between songs by telling a joke or two or by making a witty comment. She is an extremely good dancer and her dance moves on stage really adds some special flavor to her shows. Her energetic approach is very contagious and this was seen during her PBS special, From Lara With Love. Young and old jumping was jumping for joy when she performed I Will Love Again. Her Pure and Nue concerts were both very energetic shows. The tone of her En Toute Intimit concert was much like her 9-album, sedated and calm, but still it had the elements of humor and pure musical excellence.

Musical excellence is the other element that makes her shows so special. Exceptional talented musicians, compliment her music on each and every show. Crowds fell in love with the band used during the Baden Baden, From Lara With Love and Nue concerts. But the ones that really stand out are the pianist Pierre Grimard, bass guitarist, Rmy Malo and the guitarist, Rejean Lachance, the background vocalist, Kim Richardson and the percussionist and background vocalist, Dorian Sherwood. They are part of the total recipe that makes Lara's shows so great to watch. Lara gives each and every musician on stage the chance to be in the spotlight, even though she's the main attraction of the show. It is this humble approach by every artist on stage, including Lara, which brings out the true talent of the other artists. You never get the sense that they are competing against each other, or try to steal the spotlight, they always act in perfect harmony, as a team.

Lara is known for altering the style and tone of her songs on her live shows. I Will Love Again have a distinct pop style, but Lara performed a ballad version of the song during her PBS special. During her Nue tour she performed Humana in a tropical tone, while it has an African tone on her Pure-album. She performed Tout in a bossa nova style during her 9-concert and one of the highlights of her Pure-concert was the Soul/Rap style performance of Rveille-Toi Brother. It is illustrative of Lara's talent to take a song and make something special of it, something out of the ordinary, even if it is her own music.

One must not forget to give credit to the director of most of Lara's shows, Rick Allison. He perfected most of Lara's ideas into very successful performances. Teamwork, determination, vibrant ideas, exceptional musical talent, charisma, and having a true passion for music, the ingredients for a super live performance. If you mix them right, you will please the fans and have them beg for more. Lara Fabian gets the mix right every time and that is why she is one of the best live performers of our time.

Coenraad de Beer is a huge fan of Lara Fabian. Visit the Lara Full Of Grace Forum for interesting views and discussions about Lara Fabian and her music.

80s dance music

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