Concert review: Lana Del Rey captivates (and teases) crowd at sold-out NYC show
New York-based music sensation Lana Del Rey lit up the stage Monday night at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. (Photo: Naomi Shon)
By MIGUEL TAMAYO
Channel: Entertainment
If you’ve ventured into the fiery universe of music bloggery in the past three months, then you undoubtedly have come across the name Lana Del Rey. The New York City-born, Lake Placid-bred chanteuse has been a subject of debate for music aficionados since late summer due to the surprisingly polarizing nature of her breakout single “Video Games” (9 million views and counting) and her hotly debated backstory.
The reviews have ranged from laudatory exultations of her style, talent, and artistry to sheer derision of what some perceive as “manufactured indie pop sugar.” Love her or hate her, people can’t seem to stop talking about her. So it was with much anticipation and curiosity that fans, reviewers, and bloggers alike greeted the controversial star at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on Monday night.
Del Rey (neé Elizabeth Grant) sauntered onstage in front of four large, white helium balloons - upon which spliced images from her do-it-yourself music videos were projected - donning a billowy white shell dress, pristine white sneakers, and her trademark red coif, flowing eyelashes, and much discussed pout. Simultaneously shy and brash in both looks and personality, Del Rey easily embodied her self-styled “gangster Nancy Sinatra” image.
The audience’s first glimpse into the duality of Del Rey’s coy yet brazen persona came right at the beginning of the show when, after a short delay due to some audio malfunctions, a fan implored her to begin the set, to which Del Rey playfully shot back: “It’s comin’ bitch! Just wait.”
And come it did. Once the technical problems were solved, Del Rey tossed the microphone cord over her shoulder and launched into the hauntingly poetic “Without You” (previously “China Doll”), asking the crowd: “In the flashbulbs of your pretty cameras…Am I glamorous? Baby, am I glamorous?”
It didn’t take long for the questions about her mysterious background or the authenticity of her image to wash away in the hypnotic undulation of her verses.
Though a bit shy on stage, the all-American girl with the Latina-sounding stage name had some fun with the crowd, joking and swearing throughout the night. (Photo: Naomi Shon)
Through her nine-song set — which included the hugely popular “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans,” as well as lesser known tracks such as “Radio” and “Million Dollar Man” - Del Rey interacted with the crowd at times, expressing gratitude for the fervent adulation and applause, and even taking a few good-natured jabs at some of the more unseasoned fans.
“Is it pronounced ‘Lah-na’ or ‘Lay-nah’?” asked one such concertgoer, to which the 25-year-old responded, “It’s ‘Lah-na.’ You’ve been telling me you love me and you don’t even know my name?!”
But for all her bombast and raciness — crooning “Let me fuck you hard in the pouring rain / you like your girls insane,” during her performance of the title track from her highly anticipated debut album, Born to Die, scheduled for release January 31, 2012 - Del Rey still seemed to be the girl-next-door who appreciates her fans and admits that, although she knows all the criticism and harsh words come with the territory, “that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt my feelings.”
Staring off into the middle distance as she sang and introducing each song with a timidity that bordered on bashfulness, Del Rey didn’t appear to feel fully at home on stage — even telling the crowd at one point that she was “practicing” on them. However, there was a sense of confidence in her nervousness, injecting her otherwise diffident stage banter with some plucky one-liners.
“You’re gonna fucking like it when it’s on the record,” she told the crowd after a performance of “Summertime Sadness.”
Del Rey closed the hour-long show with the drum-driven, tremolo-heavy, almost-rap song “Off to the Races.” Before exiting the stage to a raucous ovation, she advised fans that might have been hoping for a bit more of Lana not to waste their time.
“I’m not doing an encore, so don’t think I’m coming back,” she told the sold-out crowd.
She may not have done an encore Monday night, but I have a feeling we will have many more chances to hear that familiar yet bewitching voice live.
