Sheryl Crow

At the beginning of the summer, country's latest big star arrived in the North West. Kacey Musgraves delivered a masterclass in gutsy country with attitude to a crazy full house that night, and her star continues to shine ever brighter. A recent win for song of the year at the CMA (Country Music Association) Awards probably means she will have outgrown The Ritz on her next visit. The point is, the popularity of country music just seems to grow and grow. Any doubters just need to look back at the reception Dolly Parton got at this year's Glastonbury Festival. Tonight, another star of the genre arrives in Manchester and it is no surprise that The Ritz is once again full to the rafters. Although not previously associated with the country genre, latest release 'Feels Like Home' is certainly regarded as Sheryl Crow's first true country record after over two decades in the business. Tonight though is not just about embracing this particular genre; we're all here tonight to enjoy Ms Crow's journey so far, and this involves the star mixing a delicious cocktail of classic rock, pop and R & B, all washed down with that country chaser. This was never going to be a night of cowboy hats and sequins though, and if Sheryl Crow's performance demonstrates anything this evening, it's that she certainly knows her audience, delivering hit after hit with the poise and conviction of a real star.
Starting with the slow-burning intro of 'Maybe Angels' proves to be significant. The track comes from her eponymous sophomore album from 1996, and the record contributes five tracks to the show tonight, more than any other. This was the album that established her credentials as a serious artist and second track is the upbeat 'A Change Would Do You Good' from the same album. Accompanied by her accomplished six piece band, these tracks possess a pleasingly heavy sound, full of hefty riffs and pounding beats, but the addition of the more subtle lap guitar throughout certainly provides the country twang that Ms. Crow seems to have a penchant for at present.
'All I Wanna Do' proved to be the launch pad for everything back in 1994, after an initially disappointing reception to album 'Tuesday Night Music Club', and so it proves again tonight. Sheryl Crow conducts the crowd, who vigorously add to the harmonies of the song. The track eventually contributed to debut album sales of a staggering 7 million. Times move on though and a song extolling the virtues of an afternoon booze-up is now delivered by a herbal-tea quaffing, multi-grammy winning superstar.
After the jolly singalong of the previous track comes one of the highlights of the night. Close your eyes during the album version of 'Callin' Me When I'm Lonely' and one could easily imagine the song being sung by Connie Britton, the country matriarch in 'Nashville', the hugely successful TV show set in music city. Thematically, it possesses all the qualities of a proper country song, but played live Sheryl Crow raises it to another level. Vocally strong, Ms. Crow sings with real passion as the crowd bellow the chorus back to her. Her enjoyment playing this song is plain for all to see and she seems genuinely chuffed that the audience are able to bounce the lyrics back to her. One gripe of the night therefore is that she only returns to the new album one more time, belting out 'Best of Times', which is less a country number and more of a throbbing, bluesy anthem, which Sheryl Crow completes with a rollicking harmonica solo. A couple of tracks apart, the record is a joy and one is left wishing there was less of a reliance on the more obvious crowd-pleasers she must have played a thousand times before.
Indeed, despite the slight reinvention demonstrated by 'Feels Like Home', Sheryl Crow appears more at home when she's amidst the tight riffs and rhythms of the rockier numbers. She's quite happy to let her band enjoy themselves during these tracks as well, and she takes to the shadows to let the end of 'The First Cut is the Deepest' develop into a raucous jamming session of epic proportions.
The remaining songs of the night continue to allow the crowd to really contribute to the atmosphere of the show and it's great to hear such notable tracks as 'If It Makes You Happy' and 'Soak Up the Sun' in all their sing-a-long glory. As if to demonstrate that Sheryl Crow isn't all about fitting neatly into a genre though, the final song of the encore is a rousing cover of Led Zepplin's 'Rock and Roll'. Proof if it was needed that a Sheryl Crow song is delivered from the soul and is more about attitude than creating content that fits neatly into a category. With this in mind, it seems a shame that much of her back-catalogue is left untouched. As is often the case though when experiencing shows by established artists of Sheryl Crow's calibre, they become a showcase for greatest hits and this is driven by the audience. It would have been nice this time though for the focus to be on the more recent material, which certainly demonstrate that Sheryl Crow's star will continue to shine as well. Or perhaps this is just me, because this particular Sheryl Crow audience appeared to have enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

One of the signs that a musician has well and truly earned the title “artist” is when they’re able to take the sound that they’re famous for and explore every corner of it while still remaining true to their original sound. On a similar note, one might think they know Sheryl Crow. They might have her down as a bringer of middle of the road AOR, with about as much edge as a basketball - and maybe on record that’s true, it’s still a matter of opinion. In the live arena however, that “middle of the road AOR” takes on a life of its own. When presented with an audience, everything the Kennet, Missouri born, Nashville based singer and multi-instrumentalist becomes a master class in rootsy, southern fried rock'n'roll, with as much attitude as she has hooks to die for. Switching between guitar and bass while providing lead vocals and being the focal point of the show, Crow is a consummate performer. She’s confident enough to let the songs speak for themselves with energised, electrified takes on her expansive back catalogue of hits like "All I Wanna Do," "Leaving Las Vegas" or "Steve McQueen." However, space is made for more reflective moments of acoustic Americana captured on later albums like "100 Miles From Memphis." There is nothing quite like the feeling of taking a chance on an artist and having it pay off, so if you have a hankering for some southern rock with smooth pop song writing at its core, you can’t go wrong with some Sheryl Crow.

I've never seen Sheryl Crow perform live before. Until last night. I've never read any reviews or gave it much thought. Until last night.

I was really blown away by how GOOD she sounded. I'm a record producer and engineer as well as vocal editor and let me tell you: this woman has a flawless voice! Wow. She sounds BETTER live than recorded. Hard to believe, but it's true.

Sheryl Crow is a rare, unique SUPER TALENT.

Her ability to sing, on pitch, with great tone and precision is a real joy to see and hear.

She plays guitar and piano while singing very well. She's not just a singer, but she's a true MUSICIAN. A well rounded artist who has it all: great songs, great voice, great band, and she looks FANTASTIC.

Overall, I would say that she is an iconic legend of super talent stature.

I even liked her little banter between a few songs.

Then she pulled out a harmonica and kicked ass on that too!

Sheryl, if you're reading this, I'm strong enough to be your man! I'd marry you tomorrow, without hesitation.
Cliff Brodsky
Los Angeles, CA

There are many things that are pretty amazing about Sheryl Crow: the fact she can expertly merge the genres of pop, rock, folk, country and blues, the fact she has been awarded nine Grammy awards throughout her career and the fact that she still looks so good considering she is now in her 50s. It appears that performing live appears to be her personal life elixir as she appears to be so full of life and joy when taking to the stage and the cheers of the crowd simply make her beam with appreciation.

A classical artist in a sense, she dismisses the need for visual and film interludes or redundant costume changes and instead uses her musical ability along with her supportive band to really showcase the best picks of her spanning discography. The crowd remains equally enthused all night, cheering wildly for 'A Change Would Do You Good' and 'The First Cut Is the Deepest'. Sheryl's show is a demonstration of artistic integrity and the standing ovation offered is just a small amount of gratification from the adoring audience.

I have waited 20 + years to see Sheryl live & this show was amazing! It was above and beyond meeting my expectations! I mean to me it really didn't matter to me what songs she did, old, new (the new CD is fantastic) country, cover tunes, I know probably 90% of them and love them all, so when she ended the show with "I shall believe", I just stood there in disbelief! If I had to pick just one song as my favorite Sheryl Crow song, that would be it...Sheryl rocks, rolls, and jams with the best of them, so thankful for the opportunity to witness such talent live & in person! Oh and Chastain Park is the best Concert venue in the southeast (that I'm aware of) !

Rock on Sheryl...til next time (maybe I'll get the set list I wasnt able to get this time)

As usual Sheryl Crow did not let us down! She rocked the look as well as rocked the Lowry with a two hour set of hits, album tracks and new songs. This inspirational icon of a woman played a multitude of guitars and at changeover these were swapped and handed over to her by her two adorable boys. The rest of the band were as talented as always. Guitar slides, solo's were top notch. There is nothing that I didn't enjoy only that it had to sadly come to an end. Thanks Sheryl Crow, you and the band were sensational.

Sheryl Crow’s show is a excellent review of her songs from her albums. They are performed in a graceful style. From all her hits and more. “All I Wanna Do”, “If It Makes You Happy” and “My Favorite Mistake” we’re among the hits she and her band performed. My husband and I throughly enjoyed the show.

Sheryl Crows self titled second album was the first CD I ever bought. Have been a fan since then and was amazing to see her live after all these years with her songs being a soundtrack to moments in my life. Polished, talented and an incredible singer songwriter. A true privilege.

Still an amazing voice as good as the hits on cd
Excellent show and really got the crowd going from start to finish with hit after hit as well as some great new tracks
I would definitely see her again when in the uk