Most of you might remember Joan Osborne's iconic mid-90s hit, One of Us - a song with an instantly recognizable guitar riff, catchy chorus and philosophical (and for some, controversial) lyrics. Interesting fact: The album version starts with four lines of a recording titled "The Aeroplane Ride" by American folklorist Alan Lomax and his wife Elizabeth from 1937.
The song was the lead single from her debut album, Relish; it went to the top of charts around the world and earned her five Grammy nominations in 1996, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. In 2007 VH1 ranked the song at number 54 on its "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s". The seminal track was also used as the theme song for Joan of Arcadia, a modern take on the Joan of Arc narrative.
Joan went on to explore various musical genres beyond pop and rock including soul, R&B, blues, and country across ten studio albums (I highly recommend her country-influenced album, Pretty Little Stranger). Her latest album, Trouble and Strife, highlights her vocal prowess and includes diverse influences and thought-provoking commentary on the turbulent times we live in. According to her official website, this "deeply engaging collection of new original songs is her response to 'the crazy, chaotic times we’re living in' and 'a recognition of the important role music has to play in this moment' because of its 'ability to re-energize people and allow us to continue to hang on to that sense of joy of being alive.'" I couldn't agree more.
Last night she played an intimate show at NYC's City Winery. The setlist was a smorgasbord of songs from her nearly 30 year career as well as a taste of her upcoming album in the form of a song she wrote for her teenage daughter. She came across as gracious and down-to-earth and sounded incredible; I also couldn't believe it when she told the audience that she recently turned 60, to which someone yelled "60 is the new 40!". It was a most enjoyable evening and a reminder that Joan Osborne didn't start and end with the remarkable Relish album.
The full setlist was as follows:
Should've Danced More
High Water
I Want to Be Loved
Whole Wide World
Trouble and Strife
Nobody Owns You
Little Wild One
Shake Your Hips
Pensacola
St. Teresa
One of Us
Gotta Serve Somebody
Encore:
Lumina
Take It Any Way I Can Get It
Comments
Post a Comment