If asked to name an influential and remarkable vocalist from the past three decades, k.d. lang instantly comes to mind. Inspired by the music of Patsy Cline, Peggy Lee and Joni Mitchell, the Alberta, Canada native made a name for herself up-north with country albums like Angel With A Lariat, Absolute Torch and Twang (with The Reclines) and Shadowland, and while her GRAMMY-winning duet with the legendary Roy Orbison on his classic “Crying” caught the ears of Americans, it was her introverted lyrical masterpiece Ingénue that revealed her perfect mezzo-soprano voice to the world, mostly in part to her hit single “Constant Craving.” Twenty-five years later, lang revisited the album with the Ingénue Redux tour, recording her stop at the gorgeous Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX for ‘Ingénue Redux: Live from The Majestic Theatre‘ available now on DVD and Blu-ray.
lang is a member of a very select group of artists that can grab the audience’s full attention before a single note is sung. As the concert begins, the curtain opens to reveal lang standing barefoot in the middle of the stage and even from the comfort of your home, you can feel the excitement waiting for that first note. The sounds of peddle steel and percussion of “Save Me” begin, setting lang up to pop the anticipation bubble: “Save me / Save me from you / But pave me / The way to you.”
The entire album was performed in sequence, a first of its kind for the Majestic Theatre as per lang. The soul-searching “Mind of Love” was followed by one of lang’s other successful singles “Miss Chatelaine,” a performance that resulted in a full standing ovation. Lang’s hypnotic voice on “Wash Me Clean” showed just how flawless and natural her talent is, looking as if no effort was needed to release such smooth, beautiful vocals. And if that isn’t enough to prove why lang is one of the best, the 2018 Americana Trailblazer Award recipient belted out a note so long that it seemed almost never-ending (and there would be nothing wrong with that) not once but twice during “Still Thrives This Love.”
While keeping true to most of the tracks on Ingénue, lang and her band did take some freedoms. “Season of Hollow Soul” started with a bit slower tempo and had an added lounge feel. The band also jammed on outros to several of the songs, showcasing their incredible musicality.
The final three tracks of the album were build-ups of a grand finale. Just when you think lang left everything out on the stage during “Outside Myself,” “Tears of Love’s Recall” put her lower register in the spotlight. Following these two emotional songs, lang and band brought up the energy during “Constant Craving.” With an applause that must of shook the theatre, lang regrouped as she introduced the amazing band members sharing the stage: Rich Hinman (pedal steel, guitar, mandolin, banjo), David Piltch (standup bass, electric bass guitar), Daniel Clarke (piano / organ / keyboards /accordion / backing vocals), Andrew Borger (drums / percussion), Grecco Burrato (acoustic and electric guitar, backing vocal) and her two phenomenal backup singers Moorea Masa and Tahirah Memory.
A selection of songs from other album releases made up the rest of the setlist: “Honey and Smoke” from the collaboration album case/lang/veirs with Neko Case and Laura Veirs (2016), “I Dream of Spring” (Watershed, 2008), “Help Me” (Joni Mitchell tribute), “Helpless” (Neil Young cover recorded on Hymns of the 49th Parallel – 2004), “Sing It Loud” (Sing It Loud with The Siss Boom Bang, 2011) and “Sleeping Alone” (previously unreleased).
lang also performed Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” which she recorded for Hymns of the 49th Parallel. Much like her rendition of “Crying” (with and without Roy), lang brings another amazing layer to this classic; her delivery of the lyrics feel as if they come from a place deep beyond her soul. (So much so that when Cohen passed away in 2016, Billboard selected the top 12 Most Memorable Covers with lang clearly making the cut.)
The DVD also includes a 30-minute interview with lang and entertainment editor at the Los Angeles Times James Reed. Their discussion covers several topics including the idea behind the tour and bringing it to fruition, lang’s own self-doubt about the album and how much of a milestone maker the album has become – both personally and in the realm of music itself. Almost like a journal, Ingénue was lang putting her inner thoughts and feelings out for all to see at the same time as her coming out to the public.
Simply put: this concert captures a moment in time of an iconic singer performing a revolutionary album from start to finish in one of the most ornate theatres in America.
‘Ingénue Redux: Live from The Majestic Theatre’ is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
“Honey and Smoke”
“I Dream of Spring”
“Help Me”
“Helpless”
“Hallelujah”
“Sing It Loud”