Sia: More performance-art experiment than pop concert
Whether ardent aficionado or casual fan, everyone knows that Sia is somewhat unknowable. The Australian singer-songwriter-producer has long obscured her face (save for her mouth) with a half-white, half-black long-bangs wig while remaining in the background of her performances, be they music video or appearances on SNL.
Whether ardent aficionado or casual fan, everyone knows that Sia is somewhat unknowable. The Australian singer-songwriter-producer has long obscured her face (save for her mouth) with a half-white, half-black long-bangs wig while remaining in the background of her performances, be they music video or appearances on SNL.
As she belts soulful, regenerative electro-anthems without motion, dancers making funny faces portray the deep, often-pained emotion of her lyrics. That's Sia's thing; one that carried over oddly but elegantly to Friday's Nostalgic for the Present Tour stop at Wells Fargo Center with crooners Miguel and AlunaGeorge in tow.
Performing in her famed wig-and-bow combo to a crowd filled with similarly attired women and men, Sia's 75 minutes onstage was more performance-art experiment than pop concert (no band, movement artists, video presentation) akin to a meeting of Laurie Anderson and Rihanna. While Anderson's influence was felt in Sia's breathy electronic ah-ah-ah blips and spare programming elements, Ri-Ri's winnowing vocal frippery was spied within Sia's singing style, one that if you closed your eyes could be hard to pinpoint. On a dramatic "Diamonds" - a paean to the distant possibilities of romantic happiness penned by Sia for Rihanna - both inspirations were channeled with spotlit shadow play and quietly prayerful vocals. Similarities aside, Sia was epically unique.
Opening from behind an undulating feathery mass that blossomed to reveal a team of face-pulling, fist-swallowing dancers, Sia breathed raspy life into the sad, theatrical gospel pop of "Alive." From there she brought power and husk to the pirouetting "Soon We'll Be Found," deep blues to the synth-stuttering "Bird Set Free," and lent the chipper "One Million Bullets" the shrill trill of high-pitched, '60s girl groups. By the time she neared the set's end with "Breathe Me," Sia found her inner opera crooning diva.
If there was one hitch in Sia's perf-art showcase, it was found in the division of the movement artists on stage with the exactly enacted video presentation on either side of the stage that was filled with performances by Kristen Wiig, Paul Dano, Tig Notaro, and Dance Moms sensation Maddie Ziegler. Too often, the eyes of the audience fixated on those celebrities rather than watch Sia find herself in the spooky arpeggios of "Love Your Body" or the anthemic grandeur of "Chandelier." Then again, that was probably her point.
Though a ticket holdup kept us from the stunning, soul-rocking AlunaGeorge, Los Angelino nu-soul crooner Miguel made up for that loss with an overly earnest (too much talking) but seriously emotional set that found the young vocal marvel handsomely channeling the Talking Heads ("DEAL") and Prince's balladry ("Leaves") without aping his influences. Miguel was just beginning to build a soulful head of noisy steam with the sensual "coffee" and the loose stewing "Adorn" when he had to leave the stage. Oh well, maybe next time.