Fenwick vs. Felicity
Students earn scholarships
Minster vs. Southeastern
Home > Blogs > Arts and Entertainment > Archives > 2008 > October > 08
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Michael Buble sings pretty, talks trashy
DAYTON — The members of the storied Rat Pack were known to get a little randy during their notoriously booze-fueled Las Vegas appearances.
But Canadian-born crooner Michael Buble, whose retro-pop stylings take particular inspiration from Sinatra, Martin and company, may have gone a tad too far Tuesday night, Oct. 7, during a concert at Wright State University’s Ervin J. Nutter Center.
The guy’s locker room humor and language clashed with the finely polished musical selections, creating a jarring juxtaposition of crass and class. One woman looked increasingly mortified — on large-screen video, no less — as Buble made insinuating sexual suggestions to the man assumed to be her husband. Such was Buble’s stage banter.
Sometimes the clash between the sordid and the suave can be funny; sometimes it’s uncomfortable — the way a drunk can be variously charming and vulgar.
And Buble does indeed have his charms — endearingly goofy ears and all.
His evocative vocals range from a velvety tenor to a tender bass, the depths of which are enhanced by a powerhouse eight-man horn section and a four-man rhythm and strings unit.
When everything hits, including the Vegas-style stage lighting, the effect is electric.
Oh, FYI to the Buble newbies in the audience: Trombonist Nick Vayenas, supposedly “Dayton’s own,” is a noted jazz musician and composer born and reared in Boston. The bit where he steps in for Buble, after the singer storms off the stage in a pretend snit, only to return and “play” Vayenas’ trombone, is a standard part of the show.
Permalink | Comments (26) | Post your comment | Categories: Music - Popular, Review
