2008 Woodie Awards
Concert Review: Lifehouse
Jami Furo
Issue date: 11/4/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Lifehouse was back in Orlando on Friday night, and their show at Hard Rock Live was a live performance that tamed the wildest of hearts. The show began with The Click Five, a band impressive only in its mediocrity. They had all of the makings of a great live act-style, charisma, catchy melodies, fun. All they were missing was talent, and that deficit led to their demise. After a long half hour of that, it was on to the big boys. In this case, the big boys were led by a 25-year-old skinny blond rock star from California with a voice like an angsty angel.
The set began with "Spin," a hit from the band's second album, "Stanley Climbfall." It was a perfect beginning to the concert-recognizable to most fans, fun, upbeat, and a great introduction to Lifehouse's classic rock sound. They then continued with several songs from their new self-titled album, including "Come Back Down" and "Blind." Their performance of "Blind" was one of the best parts of the show. Jason Wade's voice held all of the pain and desperation of a man begging for forgiveness, as the lyrics suggest. When he implored, "I'll love you more than you'll ever know / and part of me died when I let you go," listeners could feel his hurt through his absolutely breathtaking voice.
The band, of course, included many songs from their first album, "No Name Face," which was a monstrous hit in 2001. These included hits "Sick Cycle Carousel" and "Breathing," which produced a huge response from the crowd. Probably the best part of the evening was Lifehouse's performance of their ballad "Everything." The instrumentation was even more remarkable than it is on the album. The heavy bass drum on every downbeat of the first section gave the impression of Wade's pounding heart as he expressed both devotion and desperation in his song of utmost passion. His angelic voice trembled slightly to make the performance painfully beautiful. After the opening section of the song, which is slow and contemplative, it all broke loose. The heavier rock second section emitted so much feeling that it was almost difficult to bear, except that it was so beautiful. If anyone in the audience was not melted into a puddle at the end of the song, they simply had no heart.
The set began with "Spin," a hit from the band's second album, "Stanley Climbfall." It was a perfect beginning to the concert-recognizable to most fans, fun, upbeat, and a great introduction to Lifehouse's classic rock sound. They then continued with several songs from their new self-titled album, including "Come Back Down" and "Blind." Their performance of "Blind" was one of the best parts of the show. Jason Wade's voice held all of the pain and desperation of a man begging for forgiveness, as the lyrics suggest. When he implored, "I'll love you more than you'll ever know / and part of me died when I let you go," listeners could feel his hurt through his absolutely breathtaking voice.
The band, of course, included many songs from their first album, "No Name Face," which was a monstrous hit in 2001. These included hits "Sick Cycle Carousel" and "Breathing," which produced a huge response from the crowd. Probably the best part of the evening was Lifehouse's performance of their ballad "Everything." The instrumentation was even more remarkable than it is on the album. The heavy bass drum on every downbeat of the first section gave the impression of Wade's pounding heart as he expressed both devotion and desperation in his song of utmost passion. His angelic voice trembled slightly to make the performance painfully beautiful. After the opening section of the song, which is slow and contemplative, it all broke loose. The heavier rock second section emitted so much feeling that it was almost difficult to bear, except that it was so beautiful. If anyone in the audience was not melted into a puddle at the end of the song, they simply had no heart.