Guess
Oct 3rd, 2006, 11:24 PM
Checking out Mariah Carey at the Oakland Arena was like listening to the soundtrack of my life from way back when in high school. Actually "Hero" was my junior prom theme.
In her hour and a half show, she sang her classics like "I'll Be There," "Always Be My Baby," and "Hero," in addition to her more recent hits like "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off." Though in the beginning with "Heartbreaker" and "Dream Lover" her voice was raspy.
Her DJ came to the rescue by playing old school hits from Tupac to Salt-N-Pepa giving her a chance for ample breaks, and the time to change outfits. Her clothes ranged from the loungewear-like bespeckled black bikinis with a transparent black hoodie to the J-Lo inspired seafoam green gown with kimono sleeves and the stomach section cut out. She also didn't waste energy on dancing, choosing instead to pose from side to side. It would have been hard anyways, with the stilettos and tight clothes.
The last time she came around, I interviewed her, asking why she chose to express such a sexy image. She said that when she was with Sony chair and chief executive Tommy Mottola, he wanted her to upkeep a very Puritanical outlook, so when she came out of that relationship, she wanted to be on her own - in short, her emancipation though, she admits, dressing sexy is not what she does on an everyday basis.
One nice feature of the concert was the second stage in the middle of the floor section, which gave the fans a closer look at their idol. It also gave her a closer look at her fans, and she took time to wish one happy birthday and thank them for their gifts.
Opener Busta Rhymes was just like Mariah put it, the perfect way to kick off a party. His big personality filled the packed arena. He and partner Spliff Star were up to their usual antics like flirting with the audience and asking them to cheer louder. This is the third show of his I've caught and he's consistently good and worth checking out.
Both he and Mariah had hits stretching years back so it was a good fit.
Source: A+E Interactive (http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2006/10/mariah_carey_an.html)
In her hour and a half show, she sang her classics like "I'll Be There," "Always Be My Baby," and "Hero," in addition to her more recent hits like "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off." Though in the beginning with "Heartbreaker" and "Dream Lover" her voice was raspy.
Her DJ came to the rescue by playing old school hits from Tupac to Salt-N-Pepa giving her a chance for ample breaks, and the time to change outfits. Her clothes ranged from the loungewear-like bespeckled black bikinis with a transparent black hoodie to the J-Lo inspired seafoam green gown with kimono sleeves and the stomach section cut out. She also didn't waste energy on dancing, choosing instead to pose from side to side. It would have been hard anyways, with the stilettos and tight clothes.
The last time she came around, I interviewed her, asking why she chose to express such a sexy image. She said that when she was with Sony chair and chief executive Tommy Mottola, he wanted her to upkeep a very Puritanical outlook, so when she came out of that relationship, she wanted to be on her own - in short, her emancipation though, she admits, dressing sexy is not what she does on an everyday basis.
One nice feature of the concert was the second stage in the middle of the floor section, which gave the fans a closer look at their idol. It also gave her a closer look at her fans, and she took time to wish one happy birthday and thank them for their gifts.
Opener Busta Rhymes was just like Mariah put it, the perfect way to kick off a party. His big personality filled the packed arena. He and partner Spliff Star were up to their usual antics like flirting with the audience and asking them to cheer louder. This is the third show of his I've caught and he's consistently good and worth checking out.
Both he and Mariah had hits stretching years back so it was a good fit.
Source: A+E Interactive (http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2006/10/mariah_carey_an.html)