Heaven was a place in NYC last night when Belinda Carlisle performed a string of her iconic and timeless hits at Sony Hall. As a long time fan, I was thrilled to have another opportunity to experience the magic of Ms Carlisle (the last time I saw her was in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 18 years ago!). Her first solo album, the self-titled Belinda, was released in 1986. She went on to release seven other studio albums, including the seminal Heaven on Earth (1987) and brilliant Runaway Horses (1989), which features three of my favorite Belinda tracks, namely (We Want) The Same Thing, Leave A Light On and Summer Rain. This year she released a five track EP titled Kismet, which sees her reunite with songwriter Dianne Warren.
The Sony Hall website sums up her enduring appeal wonderfully: "Belinda Carlisle is one of those rare talents who continues to remain relevant after nearly four decades in the business. Amidst changing tastes, the gifted and glamorous singer-songwriter has indelibly touched the hearts of pop fans around the world with her unique blend of gutsy vocals, emotively charged melodies and picturesque lyrics". All of these traits were certainly evident in last night's performance.
She took to the stage (on time - thank you, Belinda!) barefoot, wearing a black polar neck and sparkly ankle-length skirt and immediately illuminated the stage with her energy. She kicked off the set with (We Want) The Same Thing and took the audience on a journey through her illustrious career, from her days with the GoGos to her latest EP. She was a joy to watch as she twirled around the stage and shook her tambourine, delivering a fantastic vocal performance that had the audience enraptured from start to finish.
The complete setlist was as follows:
(We Want) The Same Thing
Head Over Heels
Big Big Love
World Without You
I Get Weak
Circle in the Sand
Vision of You
Summer Rain
If U Go
Fool for Love
Leave a light on for me
Mad About You
We Got the Beat
Heaven Is a Place on Earth
Encore:
Runaway Horses
Vacation
Our Lips Are Sealed
Live Your Life Be Free
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