Adele @ Orpheum Theatre - Boston

Okay, first a little about the venue. The Orpheum is a lovely old Boston stand-by. Built in 1852, it still encompasses all of the old world charm and coziness (a bit too cozy...a little leg room wouldn't hurt) of its myriad ornate architectural details. Larger than smaller, standing room only venues (say Webster Hall or Bowery Ballroom, for example), but smaller than so many of the larger arenas (think Madison Square Garden or Fleet Center), it’s one of those theatres that makes you feel like you’re a part of the show even when you’re in the last row of the balcony. And to have all those old wooden timbers vibrating with the sound of Adele’s stunning voice, a voice that belies her tender years, and still be able to see the facial expressions of the angel that emits such heavenly tones, is simply soul stirring.

To say that Adele Adkins is incredibly talented would be an understatement. It would also be doing the nearly 21 year old songstress (her birthday is this coming Tuesday) a bit of a disservice. To say that she is a great talent completely brushes aside the tremendous amount of skill this young woman possesses. The live recording portion of her debut album, 19, almost does her justice...but not quite. From the opening notes of her first song of the evening, Adele’s voice reaches out and pulls your heart right into your throat. If you were chatting with your neighbor, you’d have fallen silent. If you were sending out that last minute text message, you’d have dropped your i-phone at your feet. If you were breathing, you’d have held your breath if she didn’t already take it straight away already.

The opening act was a "boy band" (an actual band, mind you. they all played instruments and sang) called The Script. The music was the kind of upbeat, hopeful pop that can only be created in the UK. The kind of song you might hear on television shows like The Hills or Ghost Whisperer (in fact, that's probably where you already have heard their music). Not really my thing, but they are Irish which goes a long way with a Boston crowd. They were exuberant, cursing adorably with their Irish accents. However, I'm not sure how I feel about them opening for Adele, as the two artists' musical styles don't really seem to have much to do with one another. But enough of this. On to the show...

Adele took the stage in a pair of fitted black jeans, a loose black knit top, a flowing black cardigan, and black ballet flats (are you seeing a theme here?). She apologised saying that she was going to wear a cute little dress and have her hair done and all of that...but she just didn't feel like it. By her own admission, Adele spent most of her day "smokin' like a chimney", and followed that on-stage with drinking Coke, which, she said, made her throat burn and her voice a bit "croaky"...so she asked the audience to bear with her. It was an unnecessary disclaimer. Her performance was unmistakably on-point. The young lady with the golden voice brought a down-to-earth charm and effortlessness to what could have been diva-esque turn after four Grammy nominations and two wins. Between songs, she chatted to the audience about how ridiculously expensive Whole Foods is ("I'm not doin' too bad for money these days, but that one would send me bankrupt! I hear Americans call it Whole Paycheck! Ha!") and about perfoming My Same for the first time on this leg of the tour because it was written about her best friend who is no longer her best friend ("Who wants to sing a song about somebody they hate?!"). She also broke into a spontaneous chorus of Since You've Been Gone when she heard that Kelly Clarkson was in the audience. She even stopped for a moment to give a fan a hug after he presented her with her first birthday gift ("I'm not supposed to open it 'til Tuesday..."), and brought up the house lights so she could take a photo fo the attending crowd. Positively adorable, affable, unforgettable.

This between belting out songs like First Love and Melt My Heart To Stone, and covers of Sam Cooke's That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On and a beautifully rendered version of Bob Dylan's Make You Feel My Love. All this and she's only just nearly 21 years old!! Let's all just close our eyes and imagine what the future holds...and hope that includes more recordings for Adele, and more of Adele's concerts for all of us.

Oh wait! Nearly forgot! After the show, as I'm walking out the Orpheum entrance past the row of ginormous tour buses parked all in a row, and lo, what should I see before me but a small crowd formed around a very generous and jovial Adele signign autographs and taking photos with every fan who asked (Yeah, I got my ticket signed, too! What?!). Adorable. Affable. Unforgettable. Adele.

See you at the next show...