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Fan Reviews
Journalist Reviews
Meet & Greet Reviews
Fan Reviews (Top)
Review by Newton
Let me tell you I was so excited when Mariah announced she was coming to San Jose but then she changed her tour to theaters and was supposed to do two shows at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland which was exciting because its small but then she changed it to the Chronicle Pavilion in Concord which holds about 13,000 so its not exactly intimate but good thing she played there because all the seats were full plus the lawn which wasn't even on sale was almost full. Anyway, a comedian came on at 8 and was on for 20 minutes and the curtain pulled away showing the charmbracelet curtain. Someone came out and put Mariah's tea out and a painting of her. and then there was about a 30 minute wait. During this time, there were a bunch of false Mariah sitings (I guess everyone knew where she came out).
Then the lights went down and a white curtain came out and there was a Moulin Rouge like video in black and white showing different cities and playing clips of Mariah's songs and then a faster version of Looking In started and the Ringmaster came out and then 2 more dancers came out and the music got faster and kind of Arabian and then Heartbreaker (Remix) started and Mariah came out on the right side (I was on the left) singing and everyone freaked out. She went into Heartbreaker and said "What's up Concord?". During the song, her dancers were taking pictures of her and the ringmaster painted her.
Next was Dreamlover and then Mariah sat down and said this was her favorite part of the Bay Area. Then she did Through The Rain which was amazing and then read a sign that said Mariah for Governor. She thought it was funny. Then she did My All and it went into the remix as the curtain closed and her dancers danced.
Next some circus music came on and her dancers brought out some circus props and Mariah came out and did Clown with the Eminem look alike on puppet strings. The song used more guitar which made it really cool. Next was Can't Take That Away which she was glad people kept voting for. This was also amazing, I almost cried.
Next came the Honey video intro and then Mariah came out and did Honey. Her dancers did a little ninja sticks dance which was cool and she did the same dance in the middle that she's done on her last 2 tours. Next the white curtain came out again and the I Know What You Want video played. It showed a lot more of Mariah than usual. She came out in the Harley outfit and sang the chorus and the bridge and did some really sexy dancing. She left really shortly after and the dancers finished the song.
When that was done, the curtain came down and Subtle Invitation started and Mariah was up on the sheet swing. She was lowered to the piano and you could see up her dress when she laid down. Next she introduced My Saving Grace which got the audience really hyped. Then she introduced the band with the jazz song which was unbelievable. When she introduced the keyboardist, he hit a note than she hit it. Then when she introduced her 4 backup singers, she told a little story about each of them through song and they all sang a little.
Then her and Trey sung I'll Be There and she left the stage to Trey who sang Friend Of Mine. Most of the people sat down but when the 3 female backup singers started singing, everyone got on their feet to give a standing ovation because they were so amazing.
Next was Bringin On The Heartbreak which was an amazing performance like the video. It was a bit loud and more rock-ish than on the CD. She left the stage to the guitarists who were amazing and they ad-libed alot. Next was Fantasy (Remix) and she did the chair dance she did on the last two tours. There were a bunch of butterfly boards around. Next was Always Be My Baby and at the end they threw out beach balls (which everyone took).
Next was Make It Happen which was absolutely amazing. She said good night after. The screaming for an encore was defeaning and not that many people left like they always do at concerts. A light shined on the painting of Mariah (which changed with every outfit) and then Vision Of Love started and got some of the biggest cheers of the night. She asked us if we liked the ensemble (which we did) and then dedicated Hero to everyone who stuck by her. She tried to gather up as many flowers and touch as many hands as she could (she said "I'm tryin" when she couldn't get all the flowers). Then she said good night and Butterfly started. She took a bow and said good night and the screen said good night as a curtain closed on it like in Moulin Rouge.
Overall, this was such a good concert. Mariah's voice was so on point during the whole concert and she hit all the notes, held them and hit high notes at random parts of songs like on Through The Rain, My Saving Grace, Bringin On the Heartbreak, Make It Happen, Vision of Love and Hero. Her voice was so much better then on the Rainbow Tour and the show was so much better. I only noticed a little lipsynching on a few songs. She also looked really great. You could tell she's been working out. She proved she's an amazing singer and this show was really for the fans and should win over critics.
Review by Geno
We got there about 7:30 and waited the longest hour ever until Mariah
finally appeared. Before she did, there was a comedian. He was kinda
funny, but nothing compared to what was about to come. Finally after
waiting and the crowd finally filling in most of the seats (I only saw
a few empty ones) the music started. On the screens, it went through
some crazy Moulin Rouge-ish opening with the camera going through a
black and white town that reminded me a lot of Paris.
We all looked around and finally saw Mariah walking down the center aisle to get the
the stage. I was on the other aisle but I was really really close and
it was soooooo awesome. The show went smoothly, with Mariah hitting
most all of her notes right on target! During one of the opening songs,
Mariah spotted a "Mariah For Governor" sign and laughed, saying "I
don't think that's going to happen!" But later in the show she
mentioned that running for governor "wouldn't be that bad of an idea."
The crowd was on its feet the whole show. We loved every minute of it.
The voted song was "Can't Take That Away" which was so awesome.
Mariah's headset got stuck in her hair at one point in the show and
they had trouble getting it off. I really liked how they had the
beginning of the "Honey" video while it was warming up for, well, what
else but Honey!
The Marionette show was really funny with the backwards
"E" and everything. Before Mariah sang "Always Be My Baby", she
dedicated the song to everyone with signs. I was really happy and I
started jumping up and down with my "I Love Mariah" sign with a big
butterfly on it. Before Mariah sang "Vision Of Love", the stage and
everything went black for about 30 seconds, I guess for a change of
props and clothes or something, and the crowd cheered soooo loud the
whole time! Before the last song (Hero), she asked everyone if they
liked her "ensemble", and the crowd went wild. I really enjoyed this
concert. It was my first Mariah concert, and my 3rd time to a live
performance (Spice Girls, Fleetwood Mac), but probably the best out of
all three!
Unfortunately, I wasn't chosen to go backstage which would
have been REALLY neat, but that's okay. Thank you Mariah for the great
concert! I hope to go to another one really soon!
Journalist Reviews (Top)
Review by Tony Hicks (Contra Costa Times)
Carey's talent shines when her voice is in the spotlight
THE FIRST ONE was too big.
The second one was too small.
Third time was the charm. Maybe there is something to this whole career comeback of Mariah Carey, who pumped up the Chronicle Pavilion at Concord Wednesday night by simply reminding people why she became one of the most successful female recording artists in pop history.
It wasn't so easy. After over-reaching by booking arenas earlier in the summer, Carey announced she wanted to get intimate with her fans, re-booking at the much smaller Paramount Theatre in Oakland. That's showbiz language for "I can't sell enough tickets and need to save face."
But just a few weeks later, Carey apparently decided she didn't want to get that intimate, re-booking at the larger Chronicle Pavilion, meaning that brisk ticket sales pointed the way to a more profitable venue. Changing locations twice could easily be seen as just another symptom of career sickness for Carey, who had a seemingly infallible chart presence until dropping the stink bomb that was 2001's "Glitter."
In this case, the venue change worked out pretty well. The house was stuffed with rabid fans, and Carey provided a big production that somehow managed to avoid going overboard ... and she did nothing to embarrass herself in the process.
That might have been an issue a couple years ago, when Carey unsuccessfully forayed into movies in the midst of displaying some career-harming and very bizarre behavior. But she seemed comfortably back in her diva skin Wednesday, belting out five octaves' worth of her trademark ballad-heavy R&B.
Even the "poor me" syrup of "Through the Rain" came off about as well as could be expected. Better actually, thanks to screaming fans going nuts over whatever she did, especially those gratuitous high-pitched squeals that so many take as proof of her ability.
The thing is, whether you like her or not, she could pop light bulbs in the parking lot with that voice. It's sometimes just enough to sit and listen, despite the occasional repetitiveness. Carey has been usurped on the charts by pseudo-singers such as Jennifer Lopez, but few can touch her talent. Instead of trying to compete with the Beyonces of the world by assuming a more urban feel, as she did pretty successfully to a degree in the late '90s, she's back to letting the singing -- and her looks -- lead the way.
Of her multiple costume changes Wednesday -- and for a while it got as dizzy as a Cher concert -- hardly any outfit extended lower than upper thigh. It used to be irritating, but considering everything that's happened to her the past couple years, it's not so bad anymore. Who else can wear purple short-shorts and look that natural?
And her show wasn't a straight ballad thing, though she did toe the Celine Dion line a few times, especially on "Can't Take That Away." She had the requisite number of dancers to keep things moving, stalling during faster songs so she could sneak away to change for the umpteenth time.
Though heavy on new stuff, the show's peak came, not surprisingly, with "Honey," during which Carey ran a good three minutes of the action-movie video that once dropped so many male jaws to the floor. It was a reminder of the good ol' days, as was the next song, her hit cover of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There."
But while reminders of the good times aptly connected the fans to the reasons they love Carey, the show finally and inevitably teetered over the edge into maddening self-indulgence, with video clip after video clip of newspaper headlines and the singer winning awards. It was an overt and desperate attempt for validation.
It also was completely unnecessary. Carey was preaching to the choir: an amphitheater full of loving fans. She looked perfectly comfortable up to that late point in the show, a feeling that returned when she belted out big ballad "Hero."
Finally booking the right venue and playing to her strengths was just enough to convince some that maybe Mariah Carey is really on her way back.
Review by Neva Chonin, (San Fransisco Chronicle)
Mariah pretty in pink and sugary sweet
No Mariah Carey show would be complete without over-the-top antics, and Wednesday's show at Concord's Chronicle Pavilion didn't disappoint.
Standing in front of a starry backdrop, a five-piece band, four backup singers and 10 dancers dressed as circus performers, Carey finished her third ballad of the night and peered at one of the many fan-waved signs dotting the audience.
"Mariah for governor," she read, amused. "Not sure I'd make it. I barely made it through school. But," she added, with a triumphant flourish, "I'm here. "
She was, indeed. And that's something.
Carey has always suffered from a credibility problem, dismissed as a diva who channeled her powerful voice into the prosaic pop. The people loved her, though, and made her the best-selling female singer of the '90s.
Disaster struck in 2001 after her debut as a cinematic leading lady, in "Glitter," and its titular album crashed and burned. Her label, Virgin, paid her more than $29 million to go away. Rumors of physical and mental breakdown followed, fueled by a manic appearance on MTV's "Total Request Live."
Late last year, Carey made a comeback bid with "Charmbracelet" on Island/Def Jam; reviews were mixed. Now, her first major American tour in three years has been progressively downsized, allegedly because Carey wanted "intimate" performances.
Her intimate Concord show didn't sell out, though it was full enough to avoid disgrace and provide a large and enthusiastic reception for the singer's signature stratospheric trills and hyper-sleek sexuality. Carey gave loyal fans what they wanted, cantering through eight provocative costume changes that emphasized legs and cleavage while letting her five-octave voice wring every song dry.
Then there was the stage show. Flanked by an armada of bodyguards, Carey opened her 110-minute performance by approaching her Moulin Rouge-meets-the- big-top set through the center of the crowd, singing the hit "Heartbreaker." A cadre of dancers surrounded her onstage, playing paparazzi in a pointed reminder of Carey's star status. To the side, another dancer dressed as a ringmaster mimed painting the first of many Mariah portraits.
Two numbers later, Carey settled into a pink overstuffed chair (set incongruously among the circus props), a glass of white wine with a straw at her side, to deliver an overwrought rendition of "Charmbracelet's" "Through the Rain" ("about keeping your faith").
"It is so good to be here tonight. I just love this area," she sighed. Then,
helpfully, "The Bay Area."
Carey went on to prove that she's still capable of formidable displays of technique, bending one note into six in a vocal conceit that's been imitated by every aspiring pop diva to cross the "American Idol" stage.
The concert leaned heavily on the singer's well-known, voice-displaying ballads, peppered with several selections from "Charmbracelet." For "Subtle Invitation," she descended from the rafters in a huge white sash, then draped herself across a pink-starred grand piano in a skintight white minidress. Ah, subtlety.
A vignette called "The Marionette Show" depicted a human puppet in clown makeup being manipulated by suited men on stilts while Carey sang "Clown" -- supposedly a jab at Eminem, who denigrated Carey during his "Eminem Show" tour.
To allow time for costume changes, Carey frequently surrendered the stage to videos and her backup singers and dancers. The star's own restrained dancing was delightfully punctuated by her dashing from one end of the stage to the other, looking for all the world like a fleeing heroine in a horror film.
Online fans voted on a favorite song for each night's set list (at the Pavilion, they opted for "Can't Take That Away.") Other audience favorites included "Dreamlover," Carey's cover of "I'll Be There" and a set-closing, inspirational dance rendition of "Make It Happen."
Those who came hoping to see an emotional meltdown left disappointed. Carey was cheerful and upbeat, from her repeated declarations that "It's all jokes and fun up here!" to paeans to endurance like the gospel-infused ballad "My Saving Grace," which came complete with a truncated life-of-Mariah video showcasing the star's journey through the valley of career darkness and back again.
Hip-hop songs punctuated the balladic excess, including "Honey" (with dancers performing martial-arts maneuvers) and the current hit "I Know What You Want," featuring a video of rappers Busta Rhymes and Rah Digga. Carey appeared for only one verse, clad in a clingy tank top and cutoff jeans.
Carey pulled out whatever stops were left with a rambunctious cover of Def Leppard's "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" and the dance tune "Fantasy," with its addictive sample of the Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love."
The night ended with Carey in a white feathered gown, singing an encore double-header of "Vision of Love" and a histrionic "Hero," which she lavishly dedicated to her fans.
She has survived, but she hasn't grown. Carey is still mired in a sugary pop approach that leaches the heart out of what should be a dynamic voice. If the lady has soul, it's lost in theatrical frippery that's great for its camp value but sells its artist short.
Meet & Greet Reviews (Top)
Review by Renee
...I was simply looking at her, dumbfounded. I slowly became aware of the male figures approaching, and, without thinking, as though fate itself had once again intervened and had possessed me and that whole moment I was in, I suddenly gained the composure and articulation to speak from out of the thin, crisp, night air.
Time’s hold over me had stopped. Fate lifted me out of that chasm and placed me back into the movement of the clock. But, something funny had happened: instead of me being frozen in time, as I had been during the rush and disappearance of group one, everything else was. The voices of other groups waiting to get in had stopped, the ominous black shadows had ceased their continual contortions, and that light that seemed to come from nowhere had halted its pulsation and flickering. Even the night air seemed to grow still. Time had virtually stopped, and Mariah and I were the only people unaffected.
In my hands was a small gift bag I had brought for Mariah. My eyes were suddenly downcast, completely fixated on it. It had baby blue, pink, and lavender tissue paper flowering out from it, and inside was a letter I had written, in case I couldn't convey all of my thoughts to her, and a very rare dark denim butterfly Hello Kitty purse with a matching wallet and notepad paper inside it. I held onto the gift bag's thin paper handles with both hands, palms down, tightly, as though my hold of it would help maintain my strength.
I closed my eyes, raised my head, and opened them to see Mariah still standing there. I wet my lips dry with fear, straightened my back, raised my chin, and began to suddenly speak with words that I did not know were there before. Completely unrehearsed and impromptu, I was merely the vehicle fate was using to drive my life long wish to completion. With complete eloquence and control of the English language, with not one inaudible sound, guttural utterance, or stuttering nonsensical word, under the complete strain and anxiety of the situation, I began to speak to her in the clearest, most unimaginably fluid way.
Mariah, I wanted you to know that I'm mixed, too," I said, beginning to cry slightly, "and that you've made a big difference in my life."
I paused to take a calming breath, and then continued.
"Not to scare you," I said, reaching out to touch her upper arm in reassurance; yet, to reassure who I don't know, "but I've tried to kill myself before," I stated, then retracted my arm, trying not to choke on my own words as they came forth. "I hated being alive, knowing that there was nowhere I belonged in any place I would go. I always felt so alone and hated by so many for something that was never my fault. I felt like there was no one like me out there that felt as I did, let alone even existed, and I couldn't stand living anymore like that."
All the while, my gaze into her eyes remained steady. I watched those eyes change from just slightly open and passively receiving information to quite wide and very emotional. Her poignant brown eyes grew round, and seemed to begin twinkling and quivering with the onset of its first set of tears. Her gaze remained steady with mine, as mine had with her, and I drank in the beautiful fact that she seemed to actually care about this person with no name in front of her, who was crying to her about things she knew all too well.
"You came out when I was 14," I continued, trying to keep myself from being memorized by those gentle feeling eyes, "but I didn't know you were mixed until I was 16. When I did find out, though, I felt I finally had someone to look up to, someone who could reflect my face back to me from the other side of reality. I mean, I'd never had a face before, out there in the media. I felt no one represented me, but that now I finally had someone out there whose face I shared, who I felt represented me -- you know how there aren't any mixed people out in the media like us, you know?"
She did more than shake her head yes. Her eyes continued to well up, and her head seemed to shake emphatically to emphasize she did more than understand and sympathize, but could empathize completely with what I was saying to her, and that I didn't need to dwell on this aspect of my story any longer.
"It just made my life seem a bit more bearable now that I had a verifiable identity, and it made me want to live and do a little more with my life."
I cast my eyes downward for some unexplainable reason towards her gift bag, and tightened my grip on its handles. I took a deep breath, raised my gaze again and continued.
"Now I'm a teacher. I have a Master's Degree in Education --"
"Wow, that's great, lamb!" Mariah said, her eyes widening, her eyebrows raising in pleasant surprise.
I signed and continued. "Well, I just wanted you to know that I wanted to become a teacher so that I could do for my own students, especially the mixed ones, just what you had done for me when I was their age, and feeling alone." I took a breath. "I mean, they really look up to me because of my steady pride in being mixed -- or, at least I think they do -- and I just try to do for them what you've done -- what you still do -- for me."
At this point, I finally smiled. "I just wanted to say thanks for everything, because it was all due to you. My life is as it is now because you were a part of my life, and I'm very thankful because of it. You're really a great person."
I finally realized the bag I had been holding was meant to be more than a security blanket for me. I raised the bag slightly and presented it to her.
"Here," I said, lifting the bag slightly and gingerly placing the handles into her open and ready hand. "I bought this for you, and there's a letter inside that explains more about what I said in detail. There's a present in there for you, also. It's just my way of trying to give back to you for all that you've given me." I steadied my gaze again with her eyes and said "Thanks."
I suddenly felt as though whatever magic had possessed me enough to articulate so much and so well within only a half a minute had fluttered off and left my person as soon as it had entered it. I began to feel a loss of words come upon me, as if every word I had ever learned had been completely been used up during my brief but heartrending verbal intercourse. I fought the desire to fall back into those deep feeling eyes by trying to utter anything outright.
"You're really great," I told her, and repeated my thanks as I began to pull myself away from her. Suddenly, however, Mariah, smiling, her eyes becoming curved crescents, leaned in fearlessly to give me a hug. It was my turn to feel taken off guard. I fought off the urge to hug her too hard, and to linger in the moment too long. I pulled away before she could, and, in retrospect, I probably did so because I felt guilty for taking up so much of her time already. I looked back into those eyes as I turned to walk away, uttered one more "thanks," and proceeded to leave the tent.
Once I was out, I turned back around. I don't know why I did. Maybe it was to make sure what just happened was actually reality. Much to my heart's surprise, Mariah was still watching me from inside. I stood there but for a second to look into the dim tent and capture what I was sure to be the very last glimpse I'd ever have of Mariah in such a personal moment every again. Those same male figures were standing around, but had not moved nor said much since the beginning of my moment with Mariah.
She raised her hand slightly, and said "Please take care of yourself, lamb," still looking as thoughtful and concerned as she had when I first began to speak.
"Goodbye," I whispered, holding back the tears as security looked on, and then my eyes returned to the mad rushing and herding of the remaining 70 fans left to each have their own time with Mariah somehow in the great chaos of it all.
I signed, turned myself towards the exit, and, footstep by footstep, completely unescorted, let myself out of the backstage area.
Read Renee's full and detailed review from the night here.
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