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Category: Concerts (Page 5 of 11)

Cher Postpones More Concerts, Memoir Notes, Q&A

KidConcert Delays

I almost made a renegade trip to Lubbock, Texas, last weekend to see Cher's concert there. But then I found out it has been cancelled anyway, along with a slew of other November dates due to Cher's recent viral illness.

This has been the most dates postponed on a Cher concert tour that I can think of, a fact that is alarming some fans. Then Daily Mail broke a story about Cher having to wear a heart-monitor and it all sounds pretty scary so I asked Mr. Cher Scholar (who rates claims for Veterans Affairs and has a head full of medical knowledge) to tell me how alarmed we all should be and he said there's a danger of virus infections spreading to the heart. Cher-camp says it's all a normal part of recovery.

I first read about the postponed tour from an Allentown paper that called her tour "ill-fated." Besides the delay to the second leg, what the hell is so ill-fated about it?

Memoirs

But it all gets you thinking about mortality. So does the fact that Angelica Houston's two-volumes of memoirs are now out. Yes, Angelica Houston has unveiled her saga already.

I came across two blurbs about celebrity biographies that seem pertinent to Cher's possible look-back at her life. Young actress Lena Dunham of the HBO show Girls has a memoir already called Not That Kind of Girl. Referencing it in The Atlantic, James Parker says:

"So there's the id, the ego, the superego, and then there's the part of the psyche that writes the memoir. The latter function, in most humans, is inadequately developed until late middle age, which is why memoirs by young people are usually terrible. It's a syndrome, rather embarrassing: premature autobiography."

In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Angelica Huston also weighs in on memoir. Keith Staskiewicz says,

Many celebrity memoris are like bags of potato chips–mostly air and a little bit of salty stuff–but Huston wanted to avoid the anodyne politesse or, worse, self-delusion that can make for boring reading. "It doesn't necessarily have to be a confessional, but it does require a certain amount of looking inward," she says. "If you're gonna write a memoir, you have to talk about yourself. You have to talk about your feelings and you have to talk about who you are. Otherwise don't do it; it's a waste of paper. The trees could have lived."  

NPR on Believe

BelieveOn the bright side, last week I did find something I've been looking for for years. When the song "Believe" started to hit in the United States, I was living and working in Yonkers, New York. I'd hear the song on the radio when I drove home. It was both exciting and unusual to hear Cher's song with the other hits of the day, like Madonna's "Ray of Light," Whitney Houton's "It's Not Right, But It's Okay;" at least those hits were by somewhat older women, too. But then you had Monica, Britney Spears, and TLC. (See a review of 1999 number one hits). One day I was driving home and NPR was talking about the Cher/Believe phenomenon! Like in that breathy-really-serious-NPR way. I missed half of the conversation and for years I've been waiting for it to show up online in NPR archives. Here it is. It's worth a listen.

Halloween Q & A

Cher did a fan Q&A on Facebook on Halloween. There were almost 5,000 comments made and so many pages of questions I couldn't read them all. Cher answered maybe the first 30 of them. Highlights include the following:

Mary Pat Blockel O'Donnell: Hi beautiful Cher:-) Happy Halloween! Love u tons&what is your favorite memory of Chaz&Elijah as babies/and or little children at Halloween?or even teenagers?

Cher: My favorite – I have a couple of favorites. My first was Chaz's first Halloween and I sewed a cat suit, a little kitten suit and painted whiskers and it was so hard making the tail. And the other was when we all went out and Elijah wasn't old enough to walk and we had him in a devil costume and Chaz was the Fonz and we walked around the neighborhood. It was really fun. Halloween is for kids and it's fun when you have kids.

Kaylee Rudnik: Do you think there is any place that you can go without being recognized anymore???

Cher: Hell, and I'm not so sure about that. I'm pretty positive I will be recognized.

John Nicholas Ward: What is the secret behind ur eternal youth??

Cher: Makeup and childishness

Amanda Darby: If you could change one thing forever what would you choose and why?

Cher: I would change how people get along. I would make people get along.

Dean Menc: What is the best thing about being Cher?

Cher: I don't know. You don't have to wait in line.

Goran Srdija: Why u love Gaga and what's ur favourite Gaga's song? Xoxo

Cher:I appreciate her whimsy. And re-creativity.

Doug Wemple: Didn't David Bowie crash one of your house parties? Did hilarity ensue?

Cher: I don't think so. Andy Warhol did, crashed Chaz's birthday party with Keith Haring and hilarity ensued. I loved him, he was so much fun.

Leonardo Esteban Lizama Órdenes: Did you ever met Frank Sinatra? And if so, What was your fist impression?

Cher: I did meet him. I actually saw him on stage. I was following him into Caesars. I thought "HMM, he's old but he can really sing. It's amazing." He was cool.

Mike Scott Uetrecht: How has Rolling Stone never put you on their cover? Not even a review for CTTT. Disrespectful.

Cher: Well, you know, obviously I'm not their cup of tea. Never thought I was cool enough, certainly missed the boat on that.

Christopher Fox Tyler: Whats the fastest way for a man to win your heart/affection?

Cher: Oh – I guess being funny and cute doesn't hurt

Sara Oldani: Hi Cher have you ever thought of doing a concert in Italy? What's your favourite song inyour discography (either original or cover, whatever ) LOVE from Italy!!!!!!

Cher: I guess Song for the Lonely, if I had to be buried with something that would be it

Chad Eric: Happy Halloween Cher! What was your favorite memory of Halloween as a child & adult?

Cher: My favorite memory when I was a kid was when I was 9 and it was the first time I wore makeup. I was totally decked. My mom dressed me in this peasant skirt and she tied the belt so it didn't fall off, and she put on lipstick and curled my hair. That was the BEGINNING of the BEGINNING. I didn't want it to be over, I wanted to go to school the next day in my Halloween costume.

Bob Radmore: What is it like to be famous?

Cher: It's hard for me to say it. I've been famous since I was 18, so I don't know what it's like not to be.

Brooke Bryant: What is your biggest pet peeve?

Cher: iPhones

Nick LeBlanc: Hi Cher, what is your favorite city/place that you've been at in the world whether on tour or vacation?

Cher: Bora Bora

Guillermo Issac Trevino: Do you have a favorite Stevie Nicks song?

Cher: Landslide

Mark Carder: Hey @Cher What is your favorite HORROR FILM

Cher: I'm such a gigantic chicken. I was watching Hell House last night and I was afraid to look at it. I don't do well with horror films they make me terrified. One of my closest friends made a blockbuster movie and it was the Exorcist.

(It was mildly exciting to think Mr. Cher Scholar and I were watching The Legend of Hell House on TCM at the same time Cher was. I even decided to use some of the character names for a novel I'm working on. Mr. Cher Scholar and I also watched The Excorcist again — Cher is referencing director William Friedkin there who, as we know, also directed Good Times – and Mr. Cher Scholar and I decided we were kind of burned out on the gory parts — although the special effects still hold up — but we really got into the quieter, character development of the movie this year. In fact, I don't think the movie would be quite as frightening without the quiet, ominous soundtrack.)

Annette Eland: Do you meditate?

Cher: Yes

Raymond Donahue: Is it true that you & Sonny were neighbors with Farrah Fawcett ?

Cher: I don't think so

Michele McLey: A couple of question's first what to you like to do when your not touring? And will you do a tour DVD? Oh and please say you are doing another movie, soon!

Cher: Be grubby and go to the movies. Swimming and hang out with my friends. Just nothing, the same thing everyone else likes to do. It's hard to be grubby nowadays though, it's hard to be yourself.

Jennifer Fontana: Hi Cher! What is your favorite moment from your legendary career?

Cher: Ppppssshhhh. I guess winning the Oscar was pretty hard to beat.

Jason Andrew: Dear Cher, Once you are canonized as a saint, what will you be the patron of?

Cher: Lost causes

Sam Durbin:  If you could be any item in a walmart, what would you be and why?

Cher: I would be in Target

Sam Durbin: What CD is in your car right now?

Cher: MY CD. Because I'm singing tracks to the show, I rehearse. The CD that is in my car is boring.

Christopher Eklund: What is your favorite memory of filming Burlesque?

Cher: HMm. The song, Welcome to Burlesque. I was kind of nervous. No, it's not really my favorite. One scene I had with Stanley, and the makeup scene with Christina. I don't have any favorite ones. Maybe You Haven't Seen the Last of Me.

Lorenzo Morrison: Hi Cher. No Lady Gaga. No Madonna. I would like to know what do you you think about Annie Lennox! Is there a song by her you particularly appreciate?

Cher: She's a genius. Everyday we play "Take me to the River" and do our ab exercises to it.

Amanda Jean Bedwell: Is there anything you haven't done yet but you would love to do next

Cher: A million things I want to do. So many things. I can't believe I got this OLD and there are still so many things I want to do.

Dawn Decker: Will you ever do a meet n greet? The only thing on my bucket list is to meet you!!!

Cher: Oh gosh. Elvis, James Dean. There weren't many women icons when I was young with my mom watching old movies – there was Katherine Hepburn. But I identified more with Elvis and James Dean and I identified more with that. The women were more cute and I couldn't identify with them at all

Caricatures

HirshFinally, when we were talking about caricatures a few weeks ago, I forgot about a very famous Cher caricature done by Al Hirschfeld in 1974! 

Okay, I think the height thing is a little exaggerated there.

Radio Interview, New Mix, Clips

AlbummysteryOld Video

Cher scholar Tyler sent me this clip, the Hell & Keller Pride remix of "The Beat Goes On." Thank God somebody out there is remixing something besides "Believe." I liked the video editing job, too.

I also found the original promo video sampled in the above remix, Sonny & Cher at a record store performing "The Beat Goes On." The clip opens on the record bin at left.

What record is this? Something about "Vol. 2." Is this a compilation album I've never seen before? Does anyone out there have this record?

This is now a good time to say I've always hated that boring ATCO logo.

Comrades in Retirement

In Entertainment Weekly for October 31 there's an article called "Retired? Not So Fast" Listed are people who made big claims about retirement but came back. The list includes Garth Brooks, Ozzy Osbourne, Jay-Z and Barbara Streisand.

In the same issue, Nancy Sinatra’s version of "Bang Bang" is also listed as part of a killer playlist for Halloween.

Costumes Through the Years

As I lamented earlier, I missed the People Magazine detailing all of Cher's concert outfits. I broke down and found a copy from eBay. What's ironic about the article is Bob Mackie does brief commentary on the evolution of some of his common designs. Problem is, he didn't design the new outfits in review. The D2K Egyptian opening-fit is compared to the one Mackie designed in Cher and Other Fantasies (1979). The full-fringe disco outfit from the Farewell show (red version) and the Cher at Caesars Believe-fit are compared. This comparison is very odd. First of all, this outfit and song are not even in D2K (yet) and they could have used either the Cher at Caesars fringe-fit (blue) or the older, original version back from the Take Me Home tour in 1979 (silver).

Red Blue Clear 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The current gypsy outfit is compared to the Farewell Indian sari instead of maybe to the original one from The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. The newer hole-fit (Mackie calls it "The Swiss Cheese") could also have been compared to her 1979 Take Me Home concert tour version instead of her 1980s video version. The Half Breed photo uses the version Sonny & Cher toured with instead of the iconic TV show version from 1973. Kind of wonky choices here.

Obsessing about these things…it’s what Cher scholars do.

Radio Interview

LimpetCher News linked to a new radio interview for Cher. In the interview Cher says she loves the movie The Incredible Mr. Limpet. I would love this movie, too, because I love Don Knotts except for the fact that I have a very bad association with it due to Mr. Cher Scholar and a disastrous birthday night with him that included this movie back in 2006.

Anyway, Cher laughs a lot in the interview and talks about the Broadway play based on her life.

Mrlimpet

  

(Possible) VCR Alert: Cher on Jimmy Kimmel Live Oct 30

VcrSome Cher sites, like Cher World and cher.yuku are saying that Cher will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live this Thursday night (October 30). They're also saying that she'll close down Hollywood Boulevard for a special outdoor concert.

This is the day before the big Halloween closures on October 31 around Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. And the thing is, she's not appearing on Jimmy Kimmels guest list for this week. We’ll set the DVR and see what happens.

It's amusing that I still say "VCR alert" even though VCRs are so ancient that young kids don’t even know what the term means. I have heard myself saying such idiotic things as "It's like a cassette player for TV."

Back when I was a teen and MTV was in full-power mode, my VCR was God. I used to turn on the MTV channel every morning while I was curling my hair, putting on makeup and assembling my Molly Ringwald/Stevie Nicks-inspired outfits.

The first VCR I had, (and I only ever had two), was billed as being so modern, it didn’t have a cord attaching its remote control to its main machine. It was cordless, people! That was innovation when I was a teen.

But I didn’t trust my cordless remote. It sometimes misfired. The batteries died.

Whenever a John Waite or, later, Cher video came on (John Waite’s rare videos like "Tears" always came on in the morning), I would literally listen for the first few chords of a song and then literally dive across the room for the record button on the VCR, which would make this long, painful tinny inhale sound, as if a little tiny crane were moving the record heads from a whole other part of the machine to the tape. I’d always miss a few seconds of each video before the thing actually started recording. I cursed this technological limitation to my fan indulgences. The fact that most videos are now on youtube, all those early missing seconds especially, kinds of kills me a little inside. It’s what represents my own particular tragedy of misspent youth. On many levels.

That Cher would one day make an appearance on MTV (and not be relegated to VH1 like my man Barry Manilow) was not something I ever thought conceivable. As much as I don’t enjoy the Geffen era as much as the previous and following eras, Cher on MTV was a real turning point in Cher fan existence. You could go out into the teen world with a bit more cultural power. Cher was rockin it…on M…T…V. Everyone could suck it.

And while I was waiting for all versions of John Waite’s "Change" video to come on in the mornings  (1, 2), I was now also getting alternate versions of "We All Sleep Alone" (1, 2). I couldn’t wait to get back home and play them over and over and analyze the differences.

Setting a VCR ahead of time took skill and thought. Say if you had a social life and felt risky enough to record an appearance while you were out with your friends. I missed a whole Barry Manilow special this way once. I also missed Cher on Phil Donahue and wasn't able to see if for over a decade. You could screw up while setting the time. The tape could get chewed up. Life was so precarious then. Sure, satellites fail now. But the show will turn up someday, somewhere online or on a bootleg.

It’s not quite living on the edge anymore.

NewcherIn other news, USA Today marks Cher's show one of the five live shows to see this year, a list that includes Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan. Not too shabby.

 

 

Not Busier Than Cher, But…

…I'm Chergym2out of my mind busy. I had to put that comma in my blog title because without it, the title read like Cher's ass was busier than me. Probably true but still a distracting message. 

Over the last few weeks, my brother and sister-in-law came to town and we tried to show them the great state of New Mexico in a week. I've got another guest coming next weekend. And if you know me, you know I only clean the house when people are coming over. So this summer, I've been cleaning a lot! Yesterday, I spent the day covering the front of our house with Halloween decorations. I've also been trying to keep up with the latest in haunted houses in my city. I've been very distracted from the Cher Universe working on my projects, including final drafts of my Goodnight-Loving Trail poems, and notes for a new novel. I've also been preparing an essay to make into an eBook. It's called "Writing in the Age of Narcissism." On top of that, I've recently been drafted by my Dad's side of the family, the Burquenos (which is local for "people from Albuquerque"), to help organize a family reunion next year to celebrate my Aunts 90th birthday. In all this, blogging gets short shrift.

WandaOh, and we've been busy watching Quick Draw Season 2 which had a lot more stunts, was a lot funnier and had some surprise guests. But the most recent surprise has been the great fan art people have been sending in to the facebook fan page of John Lehr, including this hilarious send up of western statue-art collecting commercial sent in by a fan. The piece is called Vernon Shank Statue Commercial. It's very funny even if you haven't been watching the show.

The strong women characters on the show have been awesome this year, including the hilarious, lusty, toothless Wanda pictured above.

But there's LOTS  of Cher stuff to get to:

GingerFirst, I came accross this image right in the October 10th issue of Entertainment Weekly depicting an Edith Head outfit for Ginger Rogers. You can clearly see a direct line from Edith Head to Ray Aghayan to Bob Mackie and Cher.

Secondly, breaking news!! Cher gets some respect in Entertainment Weekly. More than seeing Cher's new Bob Mackie costumes in the second leg of her current tour, THIS is what required that I get some oxygen stat! My October 24th copy came Friday night and I'm perusing through the issue (which you can do in like 15 minutes), and I see a short news item on the nominees for this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. No, Cher didn't make it. Not expecting that.

The first section describes this year's biggest surprises. I scanned that part and thought, "wouldn't it be an alternate universe if this article called the HOFers out for snubbing Cher?"

AND THEY DO!!! I couldn't believe it. Entertainment Weekly has not been 100% Cher-loving over many years of record reviews. But, clear as day, the middle section is called "BIGGEST SNUBS" and Cher's hole-fit picture is representin' with this paragraph underneath:

"For the second year of eligibility in a row, De La Soul's game-change style was over-looked. The Hall also missed an opportunity to acknowledge Cher–whose impact and longevity far exceed those of many of the men enshrined in Cleveland [my flabbergasted italics]–on the 50th anniversary of her first album. And if Joan Jett, nominated again this year, doesn't make the final cut this time, voters have black hearts indeed."

I ran into the living room and gave a lecture on Cher Snubs throughout the history of time to Poor Beleaguered Mr. Cher Scholar. I want to rip that page out and send it to my brother in Cleveland and ask that he and his wife organize a protest in front of the museum pronto, something he would never in a zillion years do.

Speaking of zillion, Cher is pissed at Zillow. See stories on GeekWire; Twitchy tracking Cher's tweet discussions; and an article on Bloomberg about Chinese buyers getting access to Zillow's U.S. properties.

"Chinese buyers spent more than $11 billion on U.S. real estate last year, with an average $425,000 purchase, Zillow said."

Zillow is saying this is only good for U.S. sellers. I'm not sure. but Cher is probably saying this is bad for U.S. buyers.

SandchouseThis is the satellite picture of the Owlwood house on Zillow.

Zillow has labeled this page: "Sonny Bono and Cher's Former Home – Zillow"

 

 

Here are the stories I missed in October:

According to Cher News a new version of the Norman Seeff photograph was for sale for a while (but it's sold-out now): http://cher.shop.bravadousa.com/page/SignedLithograph. What's interesting is how the store calls the photo "THE iconic 70s image of Cher."

So Cher's been sick lately as we all know. I hope it wasn't the ice bucket challenge that gave Cher the ice bucket illness. And although one of the U.S. tabloid rags had a picture of Cher on the cover last week insisting she was, in fact, dying (not the first or last time we'll see that melodramatic headline while waiting to purchase our Scooby Snacks), Cher says herself that she's on mend. Cher News tracks her tweets: she was actually in the hospital for a week; doctors say she's built to last; she's been to the gym recently; and she was humbled by the whole experience. I just hope she got some good classic movie watching in while being laid up.

http://chernews.blogspot.com/2014/10/ill-cher-im-getting-better.html 

http://chernews.blogspot.com/2014/10/photos-recovering-fitness-icon-cher-at.html
(Pics of Cher at the gym taken by Paulette, see top photo)

New dates were announced for D2K, partly makeup dates for the shows cancelled: http://tour.cher.com/

Cher News reported that Cher's concert-fits were profiled in the Fall 2014 issue of People Magazine. Is People Magazine now a quarterly? Bummed I missed that.

BbI finally listened to the Lady Gaga version of "Bang Bang" and I do like that it's not simply a re-working of the Nancy Sinatra version, which all the latest re-makings have been. Granted, the Sinatra version is pretty great and I never do get tired of hearing more incarnations of it, I also appreciate something different now and then. Gaga's version seemed more sincere and less ironic. Which is refreshing. I still don't like that red jumpsuit or the somewhat unnatural demeanor of her performance but what can you do?

By the way, this is one of my least favorite Cher single covers. Yes, chainmail tops were cool, but the acid-washed jean-jacket and jeans, the teenybopper hair flip and the wide-eyed expression all smell too much like 80s-teen-spirit, and worse–popular-girl 80s-teen-spirit. And what's with the unbuttoned button-fly jeans? Did Cher eat too many doughnuts before the shoot? Or is the boob-view, jeans-undone look a come-hither call to Anthony Michael Hall?

    

Concert Cher News

SlashCher News has been tracking the release of Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Good news: the Blue-ray is available for pre-order.

The second leg of Cher shows were to start on September, 11 but Cher has had to push back 10 dates pushing this legs shows into December.

Slash reported to The Huffington Post about attending a Cher concert and needing to go outside to smoke eventually gave him pneumonia. So he quit smoking.

Cher is also being sued by her former choreographer Kevin Wilson. Read stories on:

The last link is the testimony of Jamal Story, one of Cher's dancers. He was the dancer featured in last week's story in Fortune Magazine: "How to Survive on the Road with Cher. He makes great reference to the chaos in the Ferguson suburb of St. Louis (my hometown).He says:

I am disheartened to know that racism is part of the charge leveled in a lawsuit at my boss…But even if there is some shred of merit here, the lack of consideration for the three brown band members (of which there are only seven) still in Cher's camp befuddles me.

In fact, one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had dealing with the color quota represented on stage happened on Cher’s stage in Vegas years ago. A brunette out for her wedding was replaced by the cousin of another black dancer on the gig. Adding two of the plaintiffs (who were also there) brought the count of bona fide chocolate up to four, and then there were the two of us too light to figure in. Among the other six dancers were a Latino and a Tongan, both with enough pigment to type them out of a Mayflower Voyage film. We didn’t know whether to take a picture (because who would believe it) or accuse our boss of Blaxploitation. Because of course there were also the two black backup singers, the keyboardist and the drummer…

This doesn’t happen with a racist performer.                                                                             

In fact, since my first gig with Cher twelve years ago, I have missed only 2 of her 568 full stage shows. Never in any of them have I experienced any form of racial or sexist prejudice.

It’s not her style.  I was there every time she strutted around stage in a Native American feathered headdress singing about her Cherokee heritage.  Early in a career older than all of her dancers, she was notorious for entering the back door of venues and restaurants that would not allow her colored staff through their front. She argued with her fans via Twitter that the Tea Party supports racist policies.  She funds the Peace Village School in Kenya for black orphans.  Chand

You know, there was a budget for my hair. When I ran out of Mixed Chicks conditioner on the road,  or couldn’t find a barber for a manicured fro, Cher reimbursed receipts for cornrows. It did not bother her any when I walked on stage wearing them, black pants and a white tank—a look that might have gotten me shot by police in Ferguson—to stand in her spotlight and present her a stool.  This is the conversation we should be having instead, how my "Burlesque" costume with this hairstyle is life-threatening around those who would see a dangerous, uber-sexualized Negro thug.

During a delay in the tech rehearsal for the number “Dressed to Kill,” she sat waiting on the chandelier and smiled at me.

“I’m getting a weave,” I told her.

“Really??!!” she said, ecstatic.

     

New D2K Dates On Sale Friday

CollageNew concert dates have been posted for sale Friday morning.

There is one show coming close to me in Lubbock, Texas. I seriously considered buying tickets for this one. I really want to see the new Cherfits. I should also visit Lubbock, where my recently-departed aunt used to live. My other aunts, (her sisters), tell me there a windmill museum there I should see.

Cherfits, windmills: it's pretty tempting but Lubbock is five hours away and by November 9th I will either be out of a job or starting a new job making less money. Plus the concert is Sunday night. It's all too extravagant for these transition-y times. Boo hoo!

I'm still holding out hope for a show in AlbuquerKAY, which is bigger than Lubbock, by the way!

But at least Lubbock is excited about it.

  

The End of the First Leg

WigschangeThe first leg of the Dressed to Kill tour has already finished! That went by fast. I've been preoccupied the last few weeks hosting several rounds of guests, going camping, and covering yet another nightshift for an ICANN meeting in London. Meanwhile, Mr. Cher Scholar is looking for a new job and my job will soon be ending. So it also looks like we will be moving (again). Lots of changes (and stress!).

But here's the wrap-up of the final shows of the first leg of the tour. Is it me? Or did the wig for "Believe" change?

Des Moines

Cher’s show was all spectacle, with nine dancers, 11 costume changes, a circus set up, a Trojan horse and what might have been a Brony at one point….The duets walked a thin line between touching, exploitive and saccharine. It worked this time, but let’s hope Cher doesn’t take a hologram Bono out on tour 10 years from now…She played things tongue-in-cheek, though occasionally her banter went on a little long. There was an odd, extended diatribe about Dr. Pepper that didn’t really go anywhere. But everyone’s grandma has moments like that…There were some odd costume choices. At one point she was wearing gold dress and wig while Trojan soldiers danced around her. She looked like Dot Matrix from “Space Balls” transported into a gladiator movie…Cher has never been the type of singer who was famous for hitting all the right notes, but on Monday night she hit all the right beats.

Minneapolis

TwinCities.com

Cherilyn Sarkisian was winking and crossing her fingers during the speech, which is one of the reasons she can still fill the downtown Minneapolis basketball arena with 13,000 squealing fans. In the 50 years since Cher married Sonny Bono, she has survived both tremendous success — she is a Tony Award away from an EGOT — and embarrassing failures that would sink a lesser woman. But Cher has always positioned herself as not only a survivor, but one with the ability to laugh at her shortcomings along the way….The only real drawback of an otherwise wildly entertaining evening was the series of long breaks when Cher disappeared backstage to change…Her farewell shows suffered from the same odd pacing, but it's easy enough to forgive Cher.

Star Tribune

Cher is the patron saint of underdogs and survivors…there were many guises. Peacock Cher. Aladdin Cher. Vampire Cher. Gypsy Cher. Sonny’s Cher. Pocahontas Cher. Gladiator Cher. Vamp Cher. Disco Cher. Dinner Party Cher. Strip Club Madam Cher. Virgin Mary Cher.

Winnipeg Canada

WinniepegFreePress

She’s a master of the spectacle…She then donned the infamous headdress for Half Breed. Some things are best left in the 1970s; regardless of Cher’s (much-debated) Cherokee ancestry, both the song and its presentation reeked of the sexpot stereotype Buffy Sainte-Marie once coined "Pocahontas in fringes.")…Standing on a platform suspended from cables, she floated above the audience, traversing the length of the arena while her fans worshipped from below. And she says she’s not a diva. If this is truly her farewell tour, well, it’s not a bad one to go out on.

MetroNews

While the show was a feast for the eyes, some of the vocoder-era numbers were a little too close to the recorded versions for my liking sonically speaking. However, the diva proved she could pack an emotional punch on her own when singing some of her more soul-stirring ballads – most notably, “You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me” (from Burlesque) and her show closer, “I Hope You Find It.”…Ironically, the fashionably-named Dressed To Kill tour marks the first time in decades that longtime collaborator Bob Mackie did not design Cher’s costumes – and it shows. While all of her costumes were suitably sparkly, spangly and “Wowza”-inducing, many just didn’t have the Mackie sophistication. Her “Believe” costume especially, with sequined-heart nipple covers, looked a little more Hello Kitty than Catwoman-chic.

Saskatoon

Cher’s performance was spectacular. The 68-year-old icon flawlessly belted out hit after hit as the stage constantly transformed along with her outfits….If I Could Turn Back Time”/”Time After Time” mashup anyone?

Edmonton

EdmontonJournal

Highlights:  Her phenomenal voice, especially on Strong Enough and the touching duet, I Got You Babe, featuring Sonny’s recorded vocals and a collage of black-and-white images from their life together. (Sniff.) You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me was another tearjerker — and, as she sang it unencumbered by any dancers or props, you felt like she was trying to make a heart-to-heart connection with the crowd.

Thankfully, her self-deprecating humour stopped the 90-minute show from getting maudlin.

Low notes:

Pacing, as always, isn’t Cher’s strong suit … because she’s always changing ’em…She’d sing one or two songs, then head backstage to switch outfits, letting her dancers, movie and TV clips, or animated visuals distract the crowd.

Craziest costume(s):

Her casino Cleopatra. Her ’60s-style red mini-dress, complete with red boots? Her glittery brothel madam. Her pink, blue and orange headdress, which tickled the floor behind her legs as she sang Half-Breed, an ode to her Cherokee ancestry. And yes, a leotard, thigh-high boots, and leather jacket in the style of her notorious If I Could Turn Back Time video. STRUT IT, GIRL!

Cool props (or flops?):

Her aerialists. Her Trojan horse, wheeled in for the dance-pop anthem, Take It Like a Man. Her two staircases, enveloping her seven musicians. Her flying contraption, which she used to float above the arena during her last number, I Hope You Find It.

EdmntonSun

Along with that distinctive braying voice in fine form for 68 years old, the show displayed all the signposts of a remarkable career that spans television, movies and pop music…On a stage that looked like an enormous video slot machine…she actually did sing their signature duet I Got You, Babe – with the actual voice of her late ex-husband – and “without crying,” too. She earned a standing ovation for that pungent American memory…Cher has been a surprising pop culture pioneer for more than 50 years.

Calgary

CalgarySun

The visual and sonic assault on the senses got back on track with a medley featuring old-school solo material Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves, Dark Lady and Half-Breed. Clearly, no one gave a crap about political correctness in the ’70s.

[Three mentions in these reviews so far about "Half Breed"]

It seems unlikely that we’ve heard the last of the grand dame.

CalgaryHerald

…let’s bask in her fabulousness….The rest of the evening was number after number of gregarious and gaudy good times…We’ll even forgive her excellently kitschy but cringeworthy performance of the entirely un-PC fossil Half Breed, because, well, Cher.)

[There it is again!]

She was funny, self-deprecating and still sassy…[about her duet with Sonny] It wasn’t cheesy. It was wonderful. It was a Show-stopper.

Vancouver

…you have to wonder if fans are feeling a little farewell fatigued. Scalpers hovered like buzzards around the gates at Rogers Arena minutes before the start of Cher’s final Dressed 2 Kill tour date in Canada, frantically trying to off-load extra tickets at 10 bucks a pop. Inside, fans talked about how they had bought their tickets at a discount online.

[That's a new one.]

[Lauper sang] "All Through The Night," which she dedicated to Cher.  “She’s got an EGO, but I ain’t no slouch either,” Lauper said, pointing out she has claimed Grammys and Tonys of her own. [On Cher's entrance] “It’s nothing, OK! I love to start my shows standing atop of a pillar wearing nothing but dental floss for an outfit — at 68,” Cher said, the crowd loving every moment. Cher gave herself a tribute worthy of her iconic career.  No one else could have done it the way she did.

[Two or three reviews this round have also mentioned Cher's proximity to EGOT: winning and Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony]

Seattle

The razzle dazzle nearly overshadowed her still-strong voice, but she reminded the crowd what a powerhouse she can be.

Portland

It was ridiculous and overstuffed, the kind of concert that would pivot from a dance number with a Trojan horse and CGI flames engulfing an ancient city to documentary footage about her childhood love of Elvis without pausing for breath—not that anyone was complaining…To Cher is human: her self-deprecation and sense of humor is the missing link in the ironclad images of the likes of Beyonce and Katy Perry, though maybe in 40 years, they’ll catch up with her….Somewhere, your granny is cheering.

San Jose

Ontario

DailyNews

Before there was Madonna, Britney, Xtina and even Beyonce, there was Cher…The concert/Las Vegas-style over-the-top display of flashing neon lights, pulsating beats, multiple scene changes and superb dancers and acrobats could have overshadowed a lesser talent….If there was a theme here it was clear — Cher’s a strong woman and a survivor in an industry known for chewing up artists and spitting them out…Cher was all show (I mean that as a sincere compliment) back then and the old girl still has it. Beyonce may be one of the reigning divas at the moment, but let’s see if her career lasts 40-plus years.

ThePressEnterprise

Cher was greeted with a roar from the audience.  “Please, no,” she said. “Make me work for it.”

Los Angeles

Cher has been a would-be has-been for so long that it’s hard to remember a time when she wasn’t proving she’s still got it…Whether it was her low voice, her unconventional beauty or a sense of candor uncommon in glad-handing Hollywood, Cher has always been battling some perceived liability — a superstar presenting herself as a marginalized figure….That viewpoint has resounded with younger singers such as Lady Gaga, whose entire artistic mission is about channeling the energy of the outcast….But where Gaga turns that alienation into a kind of cartoonish triumphalism, Cher doesn’t get too terribly excited about it. For all the glitter and high-tech pageantry — the enormous feathered headdress, the aerialists balled up inside two miniature planets, the moving platform she rode above the audience toward the back of the venue — her concert felt reassuringly human, even low-key at points. It gave you a sense of the woman beneath the bedazzled loincloth.

D2kSan Diego

It was a visual and aural spectacle that only Cher could deliver — and deliver well…She acknowledged she’s lived a colorful life, marked by many ups but also many downs. And she’ll be the first one to tell you, by the way, that she’s not going to take herself too seriously during the course of the evening, setting the tone for what turned out to be a night of nostalgia with a healthy dose of irreverence — irreverence aimed mostly at herself…It was all pure spectacle, pure Cher, but at the same time, it wasn’t the Cher of old. She seemed humbler, gentler….And sure, there were echoes of Chers past: the outrageous costumes, the colorful wigs, the sexy dancers, the glittery makeup. But this was, somehow, a more subdued woman, perhaps tempered by age or a renewed sense of who she is and her place in pop culture. She doesn’t have to prove herself anymore, and in the comfort of that realization comes a relaxed disposition that made the show more authentic, more human….She forgot the words to “Dark Lady,” but it was a blip that could have easily been forgotten or gone unnoticed, what with all the visual happenings on stage. But later on in the show, she wasn’t about to hide that fact. “I had an old lady moment,” she admitted. “Oh well.”…Her last song was “I Hope You Find It” from her 25th album, 2013’s “Closer to the Truth.” Originally recorded by Miley Cyrus, the song has become Cher’s biggest hit in the United Kingdom in the 21st century.

[Is this true?]

My mom also sent me a review from the Cleveland show on May 2 from The Plain Dealer. Nothing special in that review but the title that “Fab Cher wows with spectacle and song.”

In other concert news:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/cher-its-hard-to-say-goodbye-30401394.html

“A friend said to me that a woman is sexy while she can still put on her stockings," she told UK newspaper The Sun recently, musing, “I thought, 'I can do better than that, I can still put on my body stocking'. They'll probably even dress me in it when I'm dead."

The tour has earned $55 million so far according to Billboard: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6157664/cher-tour-grosses-55-million-so-far

    

Cher in the Midwest

StlConcert Reviews

(Cher in St. Louis, left)

Lincoln, Nebraska

"Cher entertains with spectacular Lincoln show."

 Kansas City, Missouri

"Cher pulls out all the stops at Sprint Center concert…Cher opened the show standing atop a 20-foot pillar; she ended it riding an enclosed platform high over the arena floor, waving to fans regally, like the icon she is…At times this show felt like one long and lavish valediction [an act or expression of leave-taking]…prompted raucous ovations from a crowd that spanned three generations…For her finale, as she sang the inspirational ballad “I Hope You Find It,” Cher rode that platform to the back of the arena, as if in the midst of heavenly ascension. She would return to the stage to bow and wave and blow kisses to all corners of the arena. If that truly was her last farewell, it lifted her stature to greater heights.

St. Louis, Missouri

I grew up in St. Louis and so I'm always interested in how she plays there. My first Cher concert ever was in 1989 at the St. Louis Arena downtown (since demolished). What I liked about the latest review there was that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch linked to the review of the Farewell show review there in 2002. You can definitely read a change from that review to this show. Not that much has changed about the show. Something has changed about their attitudes about Cher.

The 2002 Farewell Review

"Cher came to Savvis Center on Monday night to a packed house, was style-heavy and substance-free, appropriate since that sums up most of Cher's music history. It also describes her last tour, the one for "Believe" a few years ago…What Cher offered during her quickly moving 100-minute concert was good, dumb fun."

Some back-handed compliments there all of which was toned down in this year's review:

"Cher razzles, dazzles…Over the course of 18 songs, the consummate entertainer delivered a fabulous time full of rock classics, dance favorites, ‘80s power ballads and obligatory new tunes, all having their own place in the show…The show was free of any thought-provoking subtext, but rather a celebration of all things Cher. She promised ridiculous outfits and fabulousness, and that's what she gave…The packed house ate up every morsel. “I haven’t gotten this reaction anywhere,” she said. “You all are on drugs.”…Cher, whose costume changes numbered about a dozen…the fact she can still pull it off is to her credit."

Milwaukee, Wisconcin

"Mick Jagger might still be rocking out in his senior years — but let's see him try to pull off a Rolling Stones show with exposed butt cheeks and a thong…And without those "stupid costumes" — which were unapologetically gaudy, and undeniably impressive — Cher wouldn't be so fabulous…Yes, the tour was dressed up to kill, an overstimulating spectacle that compensated for any of Cher's shortcomings. But it's a testament to the music that the show could span so seamlessly between '60s hits and 2013 material like "Woman's World." Cher's steady contralto never faltered, either, across an hour and 40 minutes…And during the night's quieter moments, Cher reminded us of why she is so captivating. There was a sweet and sentimental video duet with the late Sonny Bono for "I Got You Babe." A cover of Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis" was a warmhearted tribute of sorts to Elvis Presley (probably wise she didn't take on the King head-on). And one of the set list's least celebrated songs — "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," from her more-or-less forgotten musical "Burlesque" — was a memorable display of an impressive vocal range delivered with patented diva drama…With Friday's concert, Cher became only the 10th act to headline the Bradley Center at least four times. The others: Billy Joel, Janet Jackson, Tim McGraw, Yanni, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, Metallica and Bruce Springsteen, who has headlined the arena seven times, more than anyone else…Best merch item: A glittery Cher tumbler for $25."

"As timing would have it, Cher and Cyndi Lauper's Milwaukee concert happened the same day that Wisconsin's gay marriage ban was overturned. But while both pop stars are outspoken advocates for LGBT rights, neither spoke up about the ruling….Some artists nurse water during a show. Others beer. Cher's drink of choice: Dr Pepper. But she said she was trying to kick it, so Friday she was sipping Dr Pepper watered down with Perrier.

Also came across this paper's review of Closer To the Truth: "My Love" is a dizzying, heart-fluttering melodrama, "I Walk Alone" (co-written by P!nk) is an apt soundtrack for empowered speed-strutting (or jogging, or dancing), and, with her charged contralto, she dominates album-opener "Woman's World," co-written and produced by Paul Oakenfold." But while "Closer" can be campy fun, the truth is it picks up right where 1998's "Believe" left off, with minimal updates to bring her European dance club sound to the 21st century."

More D2K News

    

Florida Concert Reviews and New Dates Added

ChandcostumeReviews

Jacksonville, Florida

"certainly more Broadway than it was rock concert…You just never knew what was coming next. She’d sing a song or two in some outrageous get-up, generally made up of flesh-colored material and a few strategically placed scraps."

Orlando, Florida

"featuring Cher in a groovy red mini-skirt. Sonny’s video cameo in “I Got You Babe” was less creepy than other such technologically generated collaborations. Maybe that’s because there’s plenty of heart in Cher’s spectacle, enough humor and shoot-from-the-hip candor to humanize the flashy excesses.

…a formidable catalog of hits"

SelfieNew Concert Dates

Last week tickets went on sale for some new East coast dates.

For more information, check out:

Cher also made a Today Show appearance, granting a rare tour-bus interview with Tamron Hall. They talked about Cher's shyness. Tamron talked Cher into doing a selfie, something she claimed she's never done. It's toots adorbes!

Watch the interview

     

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