I was at the May 5 show in Pittsburgh, and , after reading the review from
Syracuse, I can say that it was a repeat of what I saw.
When Ani came on stage she started the show by saying that it was just one
of those nights when she just wanted to stay in bed and watch Kung-Fu
movies.
The crowd was loud and inattentive. Ani and Julie performed an excellent
version of "Not Angry Anymore" with perfect harmonies, but it was hard to
hear for the fans screaming "We love you, Ani" and various other profound
statements. At one point Ani mocked a fan who yelled something
indecipherable. The arena was teaming with teenagers who seemed more intent
on trying to impress their friends and, possibly, Ani with their mastery of
song lyrics than appreciating the exquisite nuances of the live performance.
Despite the crowd's rudeness, Ani did return for an encore. She and Jason
performed "Everest" to perfection, but throughout the goose-bump raising
song, fans continued to scream, professing their love for her.
At the end of the song, Julie and Darren began to reenter the stage as if
they planned to play another song, but Ani walked upstage to Jason and spoke
something into his ear. The two motioned to Darren and Julie, and all four
left the stage without bowing or waving.
Overall, this was certainly not one of the best Ani shows I've seen, but
that was not due to Ani's performance. The crowd demonstrated a lack of
interest in catching the nuasances of live performance. Most of them would
have been just as happy at home singing at the top of their lungs to a cd.
I felt disappointed and saddened for Ani as well.
SwanDive