Review: Sade

Photos by Rich Sugg/The Star

This era in pop music is becoming infamous for its artifice, for the technology that polishes and perfumes inferior, unfinished talent and for the pop tarts who hide behind it.  So it’s refreshing to catch a heady whiff of artistry and, even better, genuine stardom, which is what Sade Adu brought to the Sprint Center on Tuesday night.

She is the face and the leader of the group Sade, and its show was its first in Kansas City in nearly two decades. Early on, she apologized for that gap and promised to make up for it. 

For the ensuing two hours she and the band that bears her name lived up to her promise, delivering a performance that was as elegant and soulful as it was stirring and opulent. She would also shower her crowd with gratitude and affection. “I feel very loved,” she said about halfway through.

Understatement and humility are in short supply these days; Sade issues them in abundance, artfully and sincerely.

Backed by her six-piece band and two backup singers, she emerged from an opening in the stage floor, singing “Soldier of Love,” the title track of her most recent album. From there she went back nearly 30 years, to her first hit, “Your Love Is King,” then “Skin,” another track from “Soldier.” 

She would perform five tracks off that album, and fill the rest of the 22-song setlist with some of her best-known and most popular material, starting with “Smooth Operator,” which came early, and including “Sweetest Taboo” and “By Your Side,” which came late.

There was plenty to look at all night, starting with the star of the show. Sade turned 52 this year, and she’s as radiant and lovely as ever. She embellishes her exotic appearance with endearing stage mannerisms.  During the up-tempo numbers, she danced playfully, sometimes in unison with band mates. For half the show, she was bare-footed.  She changed wardrobe a few times but, as fits her personality, she favors gowns and suits, not “costumes,” like the divas.

The visual choreography was also a treat. The stage was equipped with lifts and trap doors and surrounded by a three-sided curtain/scrim. Several times it was dropped around the band, who then performed amid the videos that were projected upon it. 

All night the video screens that flanked the stage from way up high flashed close-ups of the photogenic singer, the band or other images.  After “By Your Side,” a burst of confetti splashed upon the first dozen rows up front.

All that was entertaining, but it was secondary to the performance of Sade the singer, who still has one of the most evocative and versatile voices in popular music.  She can shift effortlessly from pop to jazz to strains of rock and funk (“Paradise”).

Several times, the crowd of about 7,000 rewarded her with a loud, visceral ovation. None was louder or more sustained than the one that followed her dramatic rendering of “Jezebel,” which she performed on her knees at the front of the stage.

Other highlights: the cracked-heart delivery of “Is It A Crime”; the slow-grind rendition of “Sweetest Taboo,” which included a few blasts of blues harp; the spine-tingling “Pearls,” which provoked a few tears; her backup vocalists’ version of “Nothing Can Come Between Us”; and “By Your Side,” the best honeyed-pop song about love and friendship since “You’ve Got A Friend.”

After that one, she took some time to introduce and praise and tease everyone in the band. After each introduction, she bowed towards him. A few got a hug or a kiss.  They would all leave but return, she in a cherry red gown, for the finale: “Cherish the Day.”

She would finish the song high atop one of those lifts, as if on a pedestal.  It seemed like an uncomfortable place for someone who seems less interested in stardom and eminence than in exhibiting the traits, beyond her stunning voice, that make her such an appealing star: grace, glamour, modesty, wit, sincerity, genuineness. 

If the world can’t manufacture more Sades, it sure needs the real one to come around more than once every 20 years or so.

John Legend: He brought a 10-piece ensemble with him, including three vocalists/dancers and a three-piece horn section and then showed he has no problem filling an arena with his take on soul and R&B. His one-hour set included a cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” “Alright,” “Let’s Get Lifted,” “Ordinary People” and “Green Light,” which aroused some loud crowd participation.

Sade setlist: Soldier of Love; Your Love is King; Skin; Kiss of Life; Love Is Found; In Another Time; Smooth Operator; Jezebel; Bring Me Home; Is It A Crime; Love Is Stronger Than Pride; All About Our Love; Paradise; Nothing Can Come Between Us; Morning Bird; King of Sorrow; Sweetest Taboo; The Moon and Sky; Pearls; No Ordinary Love; By Your Side. Encore: Cherish the Day.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[Kurt]

It's too bad more didn't go to this show. It seems like the honeymoon is over for the Sprint Center now. There has been several shows with 'weak' numbers at the SC this year. This show was fairly expensive with prices at $49.50, $99.50 and $149.50. I'm not sure if there were specials going for this show either.

[Pellboy]

Kurt, they had some sort of Groupon special at one point I know.

[Cathy]

Sade was magnificent, and I was also surprised by the low attendance. The tickets were pricey, but I was fine with that because of the quality of the performer. In this economy many cannot afford that. BUT - $150 for a seat that I don't get to use because of oversized people that think it is OK to flow over onto everyone else seats is getting annoying.

[Reality Check]

Yeah, blame the Sprint Center. If I had wanted to see Sade, I would have done it back in 1986, when her music meant something to me. We weren't important enough to warrant a show back when she was Queen $#@!, so why would most of us care now?? I'll bet The Sprint Center is hopping the night of the big Foo Fighters show.

[Jonib@reeceandnichols.com]

I am a huge concert goer and select the concerts I go to very carefully...I have 2 children in college and I don't have the concert funds that used to be available. I have a large repertoire of music taste, ranging from Lil Wayne to Springsteen to Sade. The Sade concert last night was in my list of top 10 shows I have ever seen. Sade is a wonderful entertainer, loved the videos, and loved Sade. I would pay for her all over again to see her tonight. Thanks Sprint Center!
JB

[Jorgey]

Tim, your usual "spot on" review. Great show, visually and musically from Sade. Her band almost stole the show a few times.
Legend only hit on a couple of moments during his set and he sure made it all about him. He barely acknowledged his band at all.

Very small crowd overall most likely due to do the last album and her popularty peaking in the 80's.

Lastly Tim why does this Sprint Center, as new as it is, not have a better system to get people inside? It is like a "clogged drain" trying to get thousands of people in two entrances. Every show has a large group of disgruntled fans trying to fit into only two entrances well before showtime. As new as this place is how did they design such a crappy entry system to an 18K arena?

[Country Jesus]

Tim glad you got to review this one. This was my 100th concert of the year and the Sade show is in the top 2 thus far. Definitely one of the best stage shows (production, sound, choreography) that I've seen and I've seen Roger Water's Wall, Janet Jackson's Rythym Nation, AC/DC's last 2 shows, Tina Turner's last show, Kiss front row, McCartney just off the top off my head. I agree with JB - she's a wonderful entertainer (and classy)and her voice has great range but she doesn't over-use it. Great band great sound great presentation. This is a show that I won't forget.

Jorgey - the Grand St. side of the arena always has longer lines - I went to the Oak St. side and there was no line. But I agree that one of Sprint Center's main design flaws is that it only has 2 entry points.

[Pellboy]

Jeezuz, Jesus...100 shows this year?!!! That's like one every other night , but I guess if anybody could pull that off, Jesus can.

[Jest cher]

Jesus lies. It was his 99th show. I have a copy of his spreadshett of 100+ shows from last year so he is legit. Well and I was sitting within spitting distance of him at least half of those shows. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, Jesus. Maybe you miscounted. You didn't have a stub from the Wango Tango show.

[Jorgey]

Thanks for the entry tip. However, that side is often congested as well on the night of big shows. I used it after I passed the "sheep" on the West side of Sprint. Bad design flaw on thier part.

[Pellboy]

Yeah, as it gets closer to showtime, the Oak St. side can jam up as well, but still way less people than the P&L/Grand side for obvious reasons. And the airport-level security certainly doesn't help matters.

[Denny]

Totally agree that this show was easily one of the best I have seen in recent years. This coming from more of a punk/alt/indie/rock guy.

[Kurt]

I've seen some figures on Billboard Boxscore and Sade has been doing good business on tour. Pollstar lists Sade with 3 shows each in Chicago and Los Angeles and 2 shows in some markets. KC wasn't a strong market for them and I hope KC doesn't get a reputation for not supporting artists on tour. The tickets were fairly expensive for Sade also and that would affect attendance.

[Kurt]

Sade most recent album went #1 on the charts. They have this soundscan system and albums can hit high the first week and than, drop off the next week. Sade puts out albums only every once in a while and they usually sell well.

[wholesale nfl jerseys]

HEY now you go keyshia congrats to the both of you you i know will make a wonderful mother cant wait to see pic…. and yes waiting on that album to hit but i understand do the family thing but we are waiting….much love mommy all the way from minneasota …HOLLA!!! lol

[moncler coats]

let's join our hands together to stop this kind of wrong doings. It may risk lives in the future if we just let them continue.