Concert review: Neptune Theatre in Seattle, WA

Via InnocentWords.com:

The premier of China touched down in Seattle the same day as the new queen of rock. Beth Hart and her entourage may not have shut down traffic, but her legion of fans journeyed from far and wide to pay homage and celebrate her triumphant and long overdue return to the Emerald City.

On the final leg of her first major U.S headlining tour Hart is on the road with her smokin’ four-piece band in support of her new album ‘Better Than Home.’ Hart has been wowing crowds working steadily in Europe for over a decade, leaving her American fans to rely on YouTube to catch glimpses of her raw power live.

The Seattle crowd was ready and in their seats a full hour before the show began, so the anticipation was thick. Hart marched to the center stage microphone 16 bars into the roaring train beat cover of Lucinda Williams rabble rouser “Can’t Let Go.” The strode to her mini baby grand piano for the declarative “Better Man,” then leading the band through the Carol King-styled anthem “As Good As It Gets,” from her 2007 album ‘37 Days,’ spelling out her mantra with the lines “Until I break a sweat, it ain’t as good as it gets.” She then allowed the room to settle in with the Bobby Bland slow blues classic “I’ll Take Care Of You,” featuring a smooth dynamic solo form guitarist PJ Barth. This was followed by the rocking “Get You’re Shit Together.” During “Delicious Surprise,” Hart took a walk about into the seats and all the way to the bar around the back of the house, singing, slapping hands and handing out a few hugs in a parade lined with cell cameras.

Returning to the stage for the theatrical Melody Gardot cabaret number “If I Tell You I Love You,” complete with accordion from Jon Nichols. The three guitarist formed kick line for the big band-esque “Swing My Thing Back Around.” Clearly the guys in her band love this gig. Hart extolled the joy of being married to “the greatest man in the world,” before the ballad “With You Every Day.”

Hart remained center stage giving the band a break, doing “My California,” solo at the piano before her husband and manager Scott Guetzkow slipped up behind her and stole a kiss from her on the final chord. Nichols then joined her on acoustic as the two lead a singalong of “L.A Song.” Hart sat center stage with her own acoustic for the island flavored “Ugliest House on the Block.” The next surprise came from the audience as she hand the mic over to a gentleman who said he flew in from Minnesota, then invited his girlfriend up on stage and promptly got down on bended knee and proposed to the cheers of all, and gained a bigger roar when he hugged and thanked Beth before kissing his fiancé. This is the kind of open and sharing community Beth Hart has fostered.

Finally a crowd rushed to the foot of the stage to rock with Hart for “Trouble,” who tossed a playful call and response volley to the house giggling as she said “I just love getting ya’ll to say Motherfucker.” The house remained on their feet calling for an encore of “Might As Well Smile,” and “Tell Her You Belong To Me,” from the new album leaving everyone wanting more and cheering until the house lights came up.