Before performing a sold out concert at Bing Concert Hall on Oct. 17, Sheryl Crow also sat down onstage to share her life stories in “A Conversation with Sheryl Crow.” In an age inundated with prepubescent YouTube music heartthrobs, it was a treat to hear about the years of sweat and persistence that went into perfecting her craft. It also made for a refreshing and polished performance.
Crow revealed, before dozens of students and fans in “A Conversation With Sheryl Crow,” the experiences that helped shape her as the world-class artist she is today. Small successes with a commercial jingle in her hometown of Kennett, Mo., propelled Crow to seek a bigger audience in Los Angeles. There, in the City of Angels, the singer found herself touring with the late King of Pop Michael Jackson whose transcendent–and even divine–stage presence left a lasting mark on Crow.
Bing Concert Hall witnessed Sheryl’s own transcendence just hours after “Conversation.” An icon of country music, Sheryl Crow took her captive audience by storm with a mixture of well-loved tunes from a decade past and newer songs from her 2013 album “Feels Like Home.”
The night’s first number, “Favorite Mistake,” set the spirit for the concert as Crow’s classically country voice resonated throughout Bing. With guitar in hand and support from bassist Robert Kearns, guitarist Peter Stroud, and drummer Fred Eltringham, Crow belted out crystal clear highs and soothing drawls that took me back home to Texas.
The star then sang her recent hit “Easy” followed by “Can’t Cry Anymore” and “Strong Enough” from the early ‘90s. An acoustic rendering of “Give It To Me” held the Bing audience enchanted with Crow’s sweet and sentimental voice.
Crow’s crowd whooped with nostalgic glee as the opening chords to “The First Cut Is The Deepest” played. Grown friends turned to share hugs, and married couples passed loving glances across fidgety children. Even the most stoic in the audience bobbed their heads to Crow’s enrapturing performance.
Our country hero continued drawing out affectionate responses from her audience as she shared childhood memories of nights spent sleeping on a staircase, listening to her parents sing blissfully. Following in her parents’ blithe attitude, Crow danced freely about the stage in her cowgirl boots as she sang “Soak Up The Sun.”
Crow massaged the tender atmosphere with a solo version of Kid Rock’s “Picture” that seamlessly morphed into a powerful “If It Makes You Happy.” The rockstar kept the hall alive with energy, closing with “Everyday Is A Winding Road.” Before the final chords, audience members were already up on their feet, wildly cheering for an encore.
Not one to disappoint, Crow sang her hit “All I Wanna Do” to an animated crowd that remained standing. The audience was indeed having some fun–bursting into song, dancing in the aisles and swaying back and forth with lighter apps displayed on phone screens.
The Sheryl Crow concert was part of Stanford Live’s year-round program of concerts at Bing Concert Hall.
Contact Sophia Dao at sdao ‘at’ stanford.edu.