Concert Review—

If This Much Talent Could Fit in My House,

It Would Certainly Feel Like Home

By John Voket

WALLINGFORD — There are plenty of reasons why Norah Jones’ current outing – her Feels Like Home Tour – is appropriately labeled. The style of material that has sprung forth from this bluesy-voiced nightingale since her monster-selling debut a couple of years back seems more suited for intimate gatherings, where fine wine and conversation mingle with the music in a big collaborative mix.

Watching and listening to her material, backed by the individually and exceptionally talented Handsome Band, I found myself wanting to see Jones in a much smaller or more intimate venue. At certain moments during Jones’ recent show at The Oakdale Theatre, the subtlety of the band combined with the sparse staging and low warm lighting reminded me more of late night jam sessions I used to attend at a friend’s old house out in Woodbury than of a full-blown concert in Wallingford.

And from the looks on the musicians’ faces when one or another would deliver a particularly tasty lick, the Handsome Band may have been playing as much to each other and their raven-haired leader, as they were to the packed house on the evening of September 1.

Granted, the new Oakdale is a far from homey venue, but at several points during Jones’ 100-minute set, when the lights went down low and things got really quiet, it seemed to bring everybody’s focus in that cavernous expanse right to the center of the stage.

The Connecticut stop on her tour marks Jones’ second time around at Oakdale in as many years, and she acted as though she was among friends throughout the night. The feeling was loose, but there was never any doubt that she was calling the shots.

There was an interesting moment when she started changing the set list and commented to the crowd, “I’m going to drive the guitar tech crazy.” But there was no apology – just a measured look in the direction of her two guitarists as the roadie juggled four instruments to get everyone matched with the correct one.

Overall, the show was a well-paced blend of material from her latest offering and Jones’ billion-selling debut, Come Away With Me, along with several well-integrated covers from Hoagy Carmichael’s “The Nearness of You,” to Tom Wait’s “Long Way Home,” to Gram Parson’s “She.”

Other well-received material drawn from her first album included “Seven Years,” and “Lonestar,” penned by bandmate Lee Alexander, the sultry “Turn Me On,” as well as the ultimate crowd-pleaser, “Don’t Know Why.”

The audience seemed a bit less indulgent during stretches from the less familiar new album, although “Sunrise” and “In the Morning” were presented expertly. Kudos goes to backing vocalist and flautist Daru Oda for her intermittent contributions, especially on the title track “Feels Like Home,” which features Dolly Parton’s warbling on the record. 

If you had to identify an uptempo number, the country-bluegrass feeling “Creepin’ In” was probably it. Jones and Oda even threw in some choreography that may have been borrowed from an amateur production of Oklahoma!

While heading out to what became in interminable traffic jam in the Oakdale parking lot following the show, I overheard several concertgoers complaining that the show was boring, one-dimensional and too low-key. But in my opinion, it was that low-key presentation that made the material and musicianship even more compelling. Whether they were napping or just listening intently, the audiences allowing of many quiet moments during Norah Jones’ performance helped intensify the power of her music.

And if one had to pick an exceptionally shining star from among her “Handsome” musicians, it certainly had to be guitarist/vocalist Robbie Mcintosh. This veteran who has graced the stage or studio with diverse talents like Paul McCartney and The Pretenders, Cher, Tori Amos and Joe Cocker, never wasted a moment just standing there looking, well, handsome. Whether contributing to the lush harmonies of  “Carnival Town,” or too many sweet Dobro or slide guitar licks to count, it was Mcintosh who represented the instrumental center of Jones’ Handsome Band.

If looking for a show that grabs you and holds your attention with over-the-top arrangements, glittery costumes or pyrotechnic staging, this is definitely not the show for you. If you enjoy the kind of concert that might play better in your living room or on a town green bandstand than it would in a concert hall or amphitheater, however, then don’t miss the opportunity to see Norah Jones.