Review: k.d. lang: Ingénue Redux, Live from the Majestic Theatre

Text © Richard Gary / FFanzeen, 2019
Images from the Internet

k.d. lang: Ingénue Redux, Live from the Majestic Theatre

Directed by Daniel E. Catullo III
City Drive Group / Landmarks Live / MVD Video
103 minutes / 2019
www.kdlang.com
www.landmarkslive.com
www.thecitydrivegroup.com
www.mvdvisual.com

I had seen k.d. lang perform live once, at Radio City Music Hall probably at least 20 years ago now. Her voice was as pure then as it was when she first released her infamous Ingénue album that made her a worldwide superstar. Now it’s trendy to go back and do your breakthrough LP from start to finish before an audience. The Stooges and the Heartbreakers (what’s left of both those bands with new recruits) did the same thing. But lang’s voice is still smooth as buttah, and perfectly in tone; her voice seems ageless.

This was recorded at the grand Majestic Theater in San Antonio, Texas. It’s one of those beautiful old showcases with a huge stage, and there is lang in bare feet and her trademark pants suit over a white shirt. This was recorded in 2017, which is the 25th Anniversary of the album, having been released in 1992 (for those who don’t want to do the math).

The broad curtains open and lang starts right in with “Save Me.” No need for introductions, we all know why we are here. She begins with the trappings of country, relying on the bridge of the steel pedal because that’s her roots, but lang manages to transcend that sound with lyrics that are full of emotion.

She does not merely present the songs, she emotes them, continuing to give them life. This is why she is such a strong performer more than a quarter of a century on in her fame. With no idle banter between songs, she slides into the jazzier “Mind of Love.” This song, as is most on the album, is full of longing and desire that touched a nerve, no matter what the gender.

Next up is arguably one of her biggest hits that still get airplay all this time later, “Miss Chatelaine.” With a Quebec French rhythm thanks to an accordion, our big boned girl shows a more playful side by dancing across the stage to the rhythm. The first view we get of the audience is them giving a standing ovation for the song, and I would say her onstage performance, as well. It’s also the first time she addresses the audience as she catches her breath. She describes Ingénue as a “meditative record on romance.”

This makes sense with the slow ballad of “Wash Me Clean,” as desire coils ever tighter until it nearly explodes. Rather than loosening up the reins, our Albertan cowgirl of the Prairies tightens her grip even stronger with “So It Shall Be,” bringing back the steel pedal for emphasis. With some Latin jazz tones, she keeps the pressure up with “Still Thrives This Love,” adding an element of what I can only describe as “pebble” lighting across the wide stage.

“Reason of Hollow Soul” brings it back to a slow ballad, comparing love to a dying tree and its living descendants. It leads into a beautiful piano soliloquy that bridges the song with “Outside Myself,” and gives lang a chance to rest her voice. “OM” is more of a throwback torch song with a hint of different styles flowing through it, but without the group of musicians, I could imagine someone singing it laying on a piano. She just as smoothly slides into the lovely “Tears of Lover’s Recall,” which branches into to another instrumental extravaganza with a piano focus.

It’s not a huge ensemble, but we do get to see them showing their individual chops, including the bass, piano, two guitars, drums, a pair of background vocalists, and of course that steel pedal. Often lang interacts with the musicians directly. The lighting is almost part of the show as well, focusing often on primary colors red, yellow and especially blue. It certainly adds to the mood of the songs and is well chosen.

Of course the key part of the concert ends (pre-encore) with possibly her biggest hit, “Constant Cravings,” which I still often hear over supermarket and store PA systems. I don’t know what else to add about this song whose chorus has been an ear worm to so many, but it is such a schmaltzy sound (meant as a compliment). The bridge is given a nice rocked out sound, which actually works quite well.

As the end of the program proper, lang introduces the band with some obviously pre-written bander about each member. Most of it is pretty amusing, although it does go on a bit long.

As a first encore (though she never leaves the stage), lang also dives into “Honey and Smoke,” which has a mild ‘60s pop feel to it, probably due to the influences of her co-writers, including Nekko Case. For “I Dream of Spring,” being from Alberta, it’s not hard to imagine what is the thought behind the song (which is actually written by her bassist). It is noteworthy that this is the first and only time that lang picks up an instrument herself – an acoustic guitar – and plays along with the band.

She finishes off the set with covers by three Canadian songwriters, by moving to Joni Mitchell’s amazing “Help Me.” It’s truly hard to do justice to this song, which seems to be such a good fit for Mitchell’s staccato yodel, but lang emotes so well to it. With Neil Young’s “Helpless,” she does more of a job by remaking it in her own smooth style; Young is great, but no one would call his music smooth.

For the last of the trio, of course there’s Leonard Cohen’s monster, “Hallelujah,” which she also had a hit with, and rightfully so. I’d go as far as to say that other than Cohen, hers is the definitive version; this song has been covered by so many people so that’s saying a lot.

When lang and the band return to an obvious loud round of applause, she does the uplifting “Sing It Loud,” and the sleepy, schmaltzy (again, a compliment) and romantic “Sleeping Alone.”

The HD is quite amazing. Crystal clear images, especially near the end where the camera is behind lang and faces the standing audience. You can practically see the nostril hairs on someone in the back row. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but what you can see quite clearly is the blue glows of the cell phones as audience members record the show.

The one extra (other than stereo choice and chapters) is a 30-minute interview with lang by James Reed. He asks her some wonderfully insightful questions about her relationship to the music after all these years, what it’s like to perform them, why the Majestic Theater, and especially about her sexuality. This album was released about the time of her coming out, and I certainly remember the “is she?” / “isn’t she?” topic was big around the time this was originally released, thanks in part of a picture of her sensually being shaved by supermodel Cindy Crawford.

Anyway, this is a glorious show on many levels, be it musically, visually, and topically.

Song List from Ingénue:

Save Me
Mind of Love
Miss Chatelaine
Wash Me Clean
So It Shall Be
Still Thrives This Love
Reason of Hollow Soul
Outside Myself
Tears of Lover’s Recall
Constant Craving
Encore 1:
Honey and Smoke
I Dream of Spring
Help Me
Helpless
Hallelujah
Encore 2:
Sing it Loud
Sleeping Alone