Jewel tries to show she can still be a gem
By JON M. GILBERTSON
Special to the Journal Sentinel
Posted: July 11, 2004
When Jewel stepped from behind the curtain Saturday night at the North Stage
(a.k.a. the "Rock Stage" on the Summerfest grounds), she was alone.
That normally wouldn't be newsworthy, but considering that her most recent
album, 2003's "0304," was a melange of canned dance-floor beats and folk music
sentimentality, she could just have easily taken the stage with a troupe of
dancers and a DJ.
Then again, "0304" didn't do so well, critically or commercially, relative to
earlier, earthier efforts that sold in the millions. Jewel didn't overtly
acknowledge the downsizing of her success, but there were apparent hints: a
smaller crowd than she's experienced in some time (maybe 1,000, as opposed to
several thousand); a number of asides that she was recording the show, with
the
set's new, spare songs possibly included on her next album; and the lack of
any
instrumentation besides her acoustic guitar.
So it was back to basics for Jewel - a return to her beginnings, when she
simply went from place to place, strumming and singing. And the woman could
sing,
in a voice of winsome tenderness and gentility, albeit still with leaps into
yodeling or falsetto that sometimes made her sound like a backwoods Mariah
Carey.
Jewel also demonstrated her deadly inability to be truly embarrassed - a
peculiarly American trait that has created musicians as widely variant as Tom
Waits and Gordon Lightfoot. Jewel didn't wince when parsing Simple Simon
rhymes
like "bad/sad" and "car/far," and while her acoustic interpretation of the
"0304" single "Intuition" got across her anti-consumerist point better than
the
album's by-the-numbers R&B version did, the fact remains that this is the
anti-consumerist song she sold to Gillette.
Nevertheless, the crowd loved every minute, from Jewel's wised-up banter -
including her sidelong admission that maybe being a stunningly attractive
blond
helped her career - to committed performances of the weepy "Foolish Games,"
the lovelorn "Standing Still" and the big-hit sermon, "Who Will Save Your
Soul?"
Jewel and her fans reached concordance: She stuck to what she was good at and
they shouted their approval.
The opener, Georgia-born Madeleine Peyroux, was much better at what she was
good at; that is, rendering music from Bob Dylan to Bessie Smith to French
ballads in a pure voice that sounded like the strengthened ghost of Billie
Holiday. She could break a heart one moment and save a life the next. Like
Jewel, she
was alone. Unlike Jewel, Peyroux is unlikely to downplay her own best
attributes.
From the July 12, 2004, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jewel Unplugs and Goes Solo for Tour
Singer aims to create intimate experience
Tuesday, 13, 2004
BY DOUG PULLEN
Ann Arbor News Bureau
Jewel started out performing her songs by herself. No amount of platinum
albums will change that now.
Her performances Wednesday at the Meadow Brook Music Festival and Sunday at
the Clio Area Amphitheater are part of a solo acoustic tour that's been
going on periodically since the spring.
The Alaska native, born Jewel Kilcher 30 years ago, prefers to tour in
spurts, doing 15 one-nighters in a row because "I hate nights off on the
road. I've been on the road enough to know I don't like to have a night off
anywhere but home," which is the Texas ranch from where she was calling.
Jewel has toured with a band for several years now, but loves the challenge
of going out there by herself, subject to the whims of nature and the moods
of her audiences. She does not work from a prescribed list of songs, nor
does she have lighting cues or choreography to concentrate on (though her
last year's "0304" was a soundly criticized venture into Britney-style
dance-pop).
"I hate things that are contrived. I'd rather stay home and not pay for
parking or the Ticketmaster surcharges. To me, if I spend my time and money
to see a show, I want to see something that's a unique experience, where
you get to know (the artist)," she said. "That's why I like to play
intimate-sized venues."
A concert, she said, is like a dance. "You can't dance by yourself. Well,
you can ignore your partner and do what you're scheduled to do, but it
doesn't work live," she said. "I get bored."
Hard-core fans probably won't twiddle their thumbs at this week's shows,
which will include at least some material she plans to record for her next
album later this year.
Some are old concert favorites she's never released on record, like
"Everything Breaks"; others are songs she's written recently. Jewel is
recording all of the shows on this tour with the intent of using up to six
songs on the next album, along with four or five she'll record in the
studio with a band.
"I'm definitely trying to narrow down the band stuff," she said. "It's hard
because I've written about 40 songs and I'm trying to thin them out."
) 2004 Ann Arbor News.
CLIO
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Monday, July 19, 2004By Doug Pullen
dpullen@flintjournal.com*810.766.6140
CLIO - Although Jewel's fans are probably accustomed to seeing her perform
with a band, she cut her teeth as a solo artist.
No matter how big she became over the past 10 years, no matter how far
removed from those days when she played coffeehouses while living in a van
on a
beach near San Diego, she still likes to hit the road sans band to work on new
material and get up close and personal with her adoring fans.
So it was Sunday night when one of the Interlochen Arts Academy's most famous
alumni made a swing through the Clio Area Amphitheater, one of a string of
15-straight solo gigs she's doing (she's in Toledo tonight) while working on a
new album.
Two albums, really. One was recorded that night, and sold after the gig, part
of a growing trend in music where artists "basically bootleg," in her words,
themselves. Fans walk away with a souvenir recording of the performance they
just saw.
There was a line at the tent after the hour-and-45-minute show ended.
Jewel also is recording all shows on this particular leg of the tour with the
intent of including up to half a dozen of them, especially road-tested but
previously unreleased songs like "Rosey and Mickey," on her next CD.
Actually, Jewel's been doing solo gigs, accompanying herself on acoustic
guitar, almost exclusively since last year, when she released "0304," a
jarring,
ill-advised album that abandoned her folk-pop roots for the kind of trendy
dance-pop that younger, equally photogenic (but far less gifted) stars like
Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera have ridden to the top of the charts.
Most of
the material wasn't up to her usual standards.
Right now, the muse has her playing informally all by herself, road-testing
new songs, re-envisioning old ones and, as was the case Sunday, revisiting
childhood pursuits like the yodeling she learned as a kid and the operatic
training she received as a teenager at Interlochen.
Sunday's performance was a mixed bag. The first half was pleasant enough, but
marred somewhat by Jewel's sometimes cloying penchant for oversinging. With a
voice as beautiful, powerful and elastic as hers, it's puzzling that she
feels the need to show off, sometimes to the detriment of the song.
Fortunately, the concert got better as it progressed. Jewel's best moments
were her must unadorned, like the touching version of "Angel," a song about
her
father, and the unsettling "Rosey and Mickey," about the consequences of an
abusive relationship. She strung several hits together toward the end, finding
new avenues without overdoing it on "Foolish Games" and "You Were Meant for
Me," though she did go a bit overboard on "Who Will Save Your Soul."
The encore was a real joy, during which she played a dulcimer, performed with
opener Joe Firstman on a song they wrote together, and showed off the voice
training she received at Interlochen with an Italian aria and a yodel she
learned as a child in Alaska.
***
I plan to write a full review later, but here is a brief summary of the evening.
I arrived at the Clio amphetheater 40 minutes before the show. The parking was adequate. Upon arriving at the ticket booth, I presented my printout from my ticket purchase online. I bought tickets through jeweljk.com (not velvet rope). They could not find my will call tickets. I had to wait about 15 minutes at the booth while they verified the ticket purchase and found me some tickets. I was let into the show. I had bleacher seats and found myself near the back. The distance to the stage was resonable. Aside from the odd echo at the theater, the acoustics were good. I knew about the echo problem as I played on the same stage in Band during 7th grade. I lived in clio between age 9 and 14.
Jewel's performance was excellent. She did forget the lyrics to innocense maintained though. :)
The instant live cd program was nice. They had trouble with their credit card machines, so i would recommend bringing cash. I happened to have some cash on me. I preorded the show on cd before sitting down. The cds were ready approximately 18 minutes after the encore ended. They are burned cds with labels on the top and a nice folding cardboard case. Very good quality. I imported them last night into iTunes (AAC, 192kbps rate). The quality was exceptional.
I saw Jewel only once before this concert, back in 1997. She played only 45 minutes then. This time, the show lasted around 2 hours. The opening act played for about 30 minutes and there was a pause before and after the opening act so a couple could get engaged and we could "buy stuff". Jewel went on around 9:15 and I was back to my car by 11:50pm.
I realize I'm skipping around.. I did not get back home until 2am and had work at 10am :)
Jewel wore a white shirt and jeans. I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pictures from the event. :( The cds given included the entire set with Jewel's stories; 24 tracks total. Jewel played one song from 0304 (intuition), one song from this way, three from pieces of you (foolish games, ywmfm, wwsys), two or three from spirit (deep water, innocense maintained, ...) and several other songs. rosy and mick was played toward the beginning by request and she concluded the encore with chime bells. (i love chime bells)
Jewel also recorded some tracks for her upcomming album presuming they came out ok. I liked the new tracks. They reminded me of a POY/spirit style more than her recent work.
During the concert, Jewel told several stories including a dentist who asked to get her in his chair, and about a video tape a fan sent. It seems some guy sent Jewel a tape with him singing her songs at half speed, naked, covered in cooking oil. Thats just scary isn't it. I guess jewel does get some of her mail. :)
I received an email today stating that the billing for jeweljk.com will be switched to a new provider and the payments applied.
Although this email could have come sooner, I'm glad that I'm not out 40 bucks. :)
Here is an excert from the email:
Active members in the Jewel Fan Club were recently sent an email from
Paypal stating that Mani Services stating that membership in the
Jewel Fan Club was cancelled. This is not accurate information.
Jewel is in the process of changing fan club administrators. You
were inadvertently billed by the former administrator in advance of
your membership renewal date. All payments received through Paypal
will be applied to your actual August renewal. Thank you for your
understanding in this matter.
An email from Jeweljk.com has confirmed that tickets will be available at events if you ordered them from jeweljk.com. My concert is sunday and I will post my experience then on getting my tickets, etc.
Many of you might be familiar with Michiel van Gorkum. He has run countless jewel sites over the years with different spins on things. A few months ago Michiel asked fans for money to run his jewel site. The site went down and now today I learn that jewelland.nl is up. The site focuses on how "sexy jewel is."
Now Michiel van Gorkum
and I have not seen eye-to-eye in the past on several issues usually related to our sites and presentation of Jewel. I like to think of Jewel as a talented artist and PERSON. I don't know Jewel and I can't comment on her personality because I really don't know her. I am sure Jewel would like to know people find her sexy, but to present her as an object is wrong. "I think Jewel's sexy" should not be your first text on the page.
of course one could send my critisism back at me. I do run a fan website just like he does. I do have pictures and content. I didn't start the site to show off Jewel's body or to call her sexy on every page though. I wanted to present information to fans and people curious about Jewel because Pieces of You touched me.
Finally, I'd like to close by saying that Michiel van Gorkum can run the Dutch or "europe" jewel site.. my site isn't targeted at a region but the entire world (that has internet access). I'm american, but as far as i'm concerned anyone can view my page. I want them too! If you like to talk about jewel's body exclusively or want "dirty pictures" of her then this site is not for you.
At last check, Jewel's management has been silent on the fansrule chapter 11 status. No comment on tickets, subscription refunds or even an apology. Granted, they are not fansrule but Jewel or her management hired them. They are responsible for a lack of services and the treatment of fans up to a certain extent.
I would be happy with a "jewel feels bad..." email at this point. it won't get my 40 bucks back, but it would be a good start.
Jewel's website has stopped accepting new accounts to their pay services after the recent events with Fansrule. (see last article)
Existing subscribers received notices from service@paypal.com over the weekend cancelling their subscription. My balance shows zero dollars indicating no refund has been given. My account auto-renewed in June for a year. I am out 39.95!
Earlier today, fansrule.com was down and jewel's site has been very slow with several php and (possible) database access errors. The php engine is spitting out timeouts with a windows path to the file being displayed. (why run php on a windows server?)
