It seems like this sunny daytime radio concert happened such a long time ago. Adam was without Isaac, his usual drummer, but the rest of the band and backing singers were there. The visual presentation - Adam's cool daytime rocker look with mirrored sunglasses and the staging - is very reminiscent of his Moscow concert.
The set commences with a sassy and energetic Trespassing followed by Kickin' In, which I'm still finding a but repetitive. There are a few close-ups of Adam's sunglasses which are great for seeing the reflection of the crowd. The shades come off at the end of Shady to a loud cheer, I guess because we need to see his eyes to make that all-important connection, especially for the next song, a stirring WWFM.
Naked love brings the tempo back up with a singalong, which I thing should be topped off by a grand finish instead of petering out, but I guess I'm starting to sound like a broken record. IIHY follows and I'm guessing Adam has problems finding his pitch as he doesn't actually start singing until quite a way into the song. The set gets a bit emo with Broken English and some impressive vocals, though I think there are parts of the guitar solo that sound a bit off. Chokehold is beautifully dramatic.
There's a little bit of banter before another change in mood, where Adam uses jetlag as an euphemism for feeling the effects of the weed wafting in from the crowd. A fun smiley NCOE gives way to a tribute to Donna Summer with a performance of Hot Stuff. It's a wonderful and unusual treat for us all to hear a new song, a classic with the twist being Adam's fantastic vocals over it. It leads straight into Cuckoo with band intros where Adam gets all potty-mouthed with his mo-fos. It ends on a high with an almighty note plus trademark run.
Showing posts with label Radio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Radio. Show all posts
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Saturday, 30 June 2012
G-A-Y London
Apologies for the long delay, I've been suffering from massive computer fail as well as various other failures!
Adam's first gig in the UK was at G-A-Y so it's only apt that he would kick off his Trespassing era with a return. Plus I'm sure this is probably one of his favourite venues for obvious reasons. He must love performing for this audience. Here's my playlist:
Adam's in his trusty starred leopardskin T-shirt with suit jacket and tight bikery leather trousers. Trespassing opens the set where he's brilliant in voice, followed by a stompy, booty-shaking Kickin' In that has less of a rock vibe with the electronic elements coming through, which I think works better. Shady is damn fierce and it's quite interesting to hear a different shade of his voice for the bridge part that's sung by Sam on the album.
Adam does his utmost to get the audience to strip for Naked Love, removing a layer himself. This is where he really works the crowd, getting his potty mouth in on the act. He gets his banter on before Cuckoo and I just have to laugh at him pulling his trousers up as his arse is moving for the crowd. He gets the echo effects that he asks for and more. Never Close Our Eyes concludes the set and it's a joy to see him so relaxed with his swearing while plugging his album.
Adam's first gig in the UK was at G-A-Y so it's only apt that he would kick off his Trespassing era with a return. Plus I'm sure this is probably one of his favourite venues for obvious reasons. He must love performing for this audience. Here's my playlist:
Adam's in his trusty starred leopardskin T-shirt with suit jacket and tight bikery leather trousers. Trespassing opens the set where he's brilliant in voice, followed by a stompy, booty-shaking Kickin' In that has less of a rock vibe with the electronic elements coming through, which I think works better. Shady is damn fierce and it's quite interesting to hear a different shade of his voice for the bridge part that's sung by Sam on the album.
Adam does his utmost to get the audience to strip for Naked Love, removing a layer himself. This is where he really works the crowd, getting his potty mouth in on the act. He gets his banter on before Cuckoo and I just have to laugh at him pulling his trousers up as his arse is moving for the crowd. He gets the echo effects that he asks for and more. Never Close Our Eyes concludes the set and it's a joy to see him so relaxed with his swearing while plugging his album.
Saturday, 2 June 2012
94.7 Fresh FM Freshtival
Those studded shorts! And those boots! With that weird hoody thing! Don't you just love that Adam is a never-ending source of amusement? I can't help but admire his attitude and sense of fun when it comes to his presentation. Here's my playlist:
The set starts off as usual with Trespassing and Kickin' In, which has impressive vocals. I've started to find Brian's banter slightly irritating as he sounds like Adam's echo but maybe the purpose is for sound adjustments. I like his dancing and the energy he brings though. Adam does a bit of melodramatic moaning about the heat at the start of Shady, and it looks like he has a specific dance for those shorts. The humming at the start of WWFM is divine, turning out to be another spellbinding performance.
Adam reluctantly removes his hoody, spoiling his look for Chokehold. It's not the most accurate near the start but those vocals are nothing short of spectacular. There's a bit of a Naked Love synths tease at the start of Broken English, again with a nice guitar solo with staggering wails and runs. Naked Love is next for real and it's funny how Adam tries to be all conservative when it comes to nudity but won't think twice about being sex-grabby and thrusty. IIHY is next and unfortunately Adam sounds lost and off-key flat throughout due to various sound issues. He later apologises and takes the piss out of himself over it. NCOE is followed by Cuckoo where his voice is at its bright and gritty best, sprinkled with wonderful runs.
The set starts off as usual with Trespassing and Kickin' In, which has impressive vocals. I've started to find Brian's banter slightly irritating as he sounds like Adam's echo but maybe the purpose is for sound adjustments. I like his dancing and the energy he brings though. Adam does a bit of melodramatic moaning about the heat at the start of Shady, and it looks like he has a specific dance for those shorts. The humming at the start of WWFM is divine, turning out to be another spellbinding performance.
Adam reluctantly removes his hoody, spoiling his look for Chokehold. It's not the most accurate near the start but those vocals are nothing short of spectacular. There's a bit of a Naked Love synths tease at the start of Broken English, again with a nice guitar solo with staggering wails and runs. Naked Love is next for real and it's funny how Adam tries to be all conservative when it comes to nudity but won't think twice about being sex-grabby and thrusty. IIHY is next and unfortunately Adam sounds lost and off-key flat throughout due to various sound issues. He later apologises and takes the piss out of himself over it. NCOE is followed by Cuckoo where his voice is at its bright and gritty best, sprinkled with wonderful runs.
Friday, 1 June 2012
96.5 TIC Spring Fling
SHORTS!!! Below-the-knee rocker length, but that still comes as quite the shock. There's still daylight and the weather's hot so it's a logical choice. The trashy loud vest with dollar signs however, isn't. Still you have to love that Adam doesn't take himself too seriously, and this is one of those hilarious WTF? outfits that works in setting a fun mood.
The set starts with a funky-as-hell Trespassing, leading into a camp theatrical Kickin' In. Shady is still my favourite for getting down to and Adam performs it cheekily. WWFM is the big dramatic version and has a lovely ending where his voice is a sweet flutter. Chokehold has sublime vocals sung with his stank face for much of the time, with a light ending floating over the instruments.
Adam tries to get crowd singing his riffs, but ends up taking the piss. As if a normal person could hit those notes. I assume this is to get the sound and echo right for Broken English. I've run out of ways to describe Adam's voice but here it's bluesy and just phenomenal. Tommy does a good job with the guitar solo. Next up is Naked Love which has an uplifting energy with Adam's giggle and encouragement of audience participation. I think I'm getting used to the ending now as I'm getting less fussy about the absence of a big finish. The surprise song is IIHY, which hasn't been done for a while. It sounds a bit different during the chorus with the bass less electronic and more funky. There are some nice vocal variations. I'm really getting to enjoy the excitement of NCOE live. It looks like Adam was never quite happy with the sound and the final run of notes is very flat. The set ends with Cuckoo and the band intros, with creative riffs over bridge.
The set starts with a funky-as-hell Trespassing, leading into a camp theatrical Kickin' In. Shady is still my favourite for getting down to and Adam performs it cheekily. WWFM is the big dramatic version and has a lovely ending where his voice is a sweet flutter. Chokehold has sublime vocals sung with his stank face for much of the time, with a light ending floating over the instruments.
Adam tries to get crowd singing his riffs, but ends up taking the piss. As if a normal person could hit those notes. I assume this is to get the sound and echo right for Broken English. I've run out of ways to describe Adam's voice but here it's bluesy and just phenomenal. Tommy does a good job with the guitar solo. Next up is Naked Love which has an uplifting energy with Adam's giggle and encouragement of audience participation. I think I'm getting used to the ending now as I'm getting less fussy about the absence of a big finish. The surprise song is IIHY, which hasn't been done for a while. It sounds a bit different during the chorus with the bass less electronic and more funky. There are some nice vocal variations. I'm really getting to enjoy the excitement of NCOE live. It looks like Adam was never quite happy with the sound and the final run of notes is very flat. The set ends with Cuckoo and the band intros, with creative riffs over bridge.
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Sirius XM OutQ
I'd been waiting on this set of performances for ages, hoping that Sirius XM would post them on their channel but they still haven't appeared. Right now we only have the audio captured by @ScorpioBert. This set was performed back in February at the studio's Fishbowl for The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick.
The set starts with WWFM, the arrangement sounds lovely, especially the piano. Adam uses some new runs during his belts which sound fantastic. Trespassing sounds great with a beat, especially with that slightly electronic bass. There are some vocal tricks and lots of variations from the usual acoustic versions. OOL starts with a piano, something I'd hoped to hear since the debut. Other instruments are gradually introduced. It's a powerful and stirring rendition that has a different ending as he chooses to wail through rather than sing it. I realise it's been a while since we last heard BTIKM, even longer since Kevin's backing vocals but I realise I have missed it. Fever is jazzy, fun and free-flowing with brilliant vocals. The last song is Purple Haze, and it's the first time I've heard him do an acoustic version. His voice sounds rich and strong, ending with a riff from Trespassing.
The set starts with WWFM, the arrangement sounds lovely, especially the piano. Adam uses some new runs during his belts which sound fantastic. Trespassing sounds great with a beat, especially with that slightly electronic bass. There are some vocal tricks and lots of variations from the usual acoustic versions. OOL starts with a piano, something I'd hoped to hear since the debut. Other instruments are gradually introduced. It's a powerful and stirring rendition that has a different ending as he chooses to wail through rather than sing it. I realise it's been a while since we last heard BTIKM, even longer since Kevin's backing vocals but I realise I have missed it. Fever is jazzy, fun and free-flowing with brilliant vocals. The last song is Purple Haze, and it's the first time I've heard him do an acoustic version. His voice sounds rich and strong, ending with a riff from Trespassing.
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Q102 Springle Ball
Adam has new ash blonde highlights up top with those stars and stripe trousers and blue jacket. The crowd is well up for it, egging him on and he's returning the energy. He isn't happy with the sound for much of Trespassing and Kickin' In. Despite myself, I'm singing along to Naked Love, finding that bit by bit I'm being ensnared. Even though WWFM is an old song, it's a highlight for me. The crowd sings along and he includes an absolute beauty of a glory note, jazz hands and all. Unmissable. NCOE has some stellar vocals and some slightly different drumming at end. The set ends with Cuckoo and band intros with Adam really playing up to the crowd. Out of all the radio concerts so far, this one's my favourite for vocals. Here's my playlist:
Monday, 21 May 2012
103.5 KTUphoria
Adam steps onto the stage donning a luminous yellow vest under a sleeveless leather jacket with very tight stars and stripes trousers.
First up we have Trespassing to set the mood and he sings a surprisingly high "GPS" line. It leads straight into Kickin' In. I like the verses but think the structure of the song needs tweaking to come alive. Perhaps another verse or a shortened repetition section. That section works OK as a club tune but for the live concert, not so much. There's a good finish though.
It sounds like Adam misses his cue on Naked Love coming in a bar late. I enjoy the performance but think he needs to finish it with a bang. I would suggest kicking in with a blast of instruments for one final chorus. Otherwise, it just seems to fall a bit flat. There's some lovely humming at the start of WWFM as a reverent hush sweeps the crowd. It reminds me of soaked in that respect.
Unusually for Adam, he plugs his new album before the start of NCOE. I wasn't particularly keen on the chorus from the single but I get it here. It's that euphoric feeling of bursting to jump around, which I guess reminds me of IIHY. Good strong vocals here.
Adam invites a "crazy bitch" fan onto the stage, who wraps her legs round him. He then gives her a spanking before proceeding with Cuckoo. He includes a massive glory note, some hilarious dance moves and band intros. The vocals are magnificent.
First up we have Trespassing to set the mood and he sings a surprisingly high "GPS" line. It leads straight into Kickin' In. I like the verses but think the structure of the song needs tweaking to come alive. Perhaps another verse or a shortened repetition section. That section works OK as a club tune but for the live concert, not so much. There's a good finish though.
It sounds like Adam misses his cue on Naked Love coming in a bar late. I enjoy the performance but think he needs to finish it with a bang. I would suggest kicking in with a blast of instruments for one final chorus. Otherwise, it just seems to fall a bit flat. There's some lovely humming at the start of WWFM as a reverent hush sweeps the crowd. It reminds me of soaked in that respect.
Unusually for Adam, he plugs his new album before the start of NCOE. I wasn't particularly keen on the chorus from the single but I get it here. It's that euphoric feeling of bursting to jump around, which I guess reminds me of IIHY. Good strong vocals here.
Adam invites a "crazy bitch" fan onto the stage, who wraps her legs round him. He then gives her a spanking before proceeding with Cuckoo. He includes a massive glory note, some hilarious dance moves and band intros. The vocals are magnificent.
Sunday, 20 May 2012
KISS 108 Concert 2012
For this concert, Adam's got the daytime rocker look nailed with a sleeveless hoody over a T-shirt adorned with native American patterns. Here's the video along with my comments below:
I think Trespassing is one of the most enjoyable songs performed live and it's absolutely fantastic to see such a huge crowd getting into it and clapping along.
Kickin' In is a rocking version with great funk guitar. I'm not sure the rock vibe works as well as the album version. Adam does some fun shuffly dancing and does lots of ad-libbing with his voice over the repetitive part towards the end.
Shady has a troubled start. Adam is unable to find the right pitch and sings the first verse off-key much lower than intended. I assume it's because he can't hear properly. He finds his way back when the guitar kicks in and does his best to make a good performance out of it. I still like it though, especially when we get to hear the more melodic part of his voice towards the end.
WWFM brings a shift in the mood and it's a beautiful sweeping dramatic ballad with lots of echo. The backing vocals are a little off at points but overall I like the effect they give. I'm growing to really love this arrangement.
At the start of Naked Love we hear Adam complain about the sound. He loses the hoody and makes an effort to be family friendly and not swear. I'm now starting to see the appeal of the song as it's so poppy and right for this kind of sunny summer singalong that gets the crowd going. I still don't like the ending though as it just fizzles out. I think Adam needs to sing a few notes to give it a definitive finish.
Oops Adam, I'm sure you weren't supposed to say "piss" in family-friendly mode. The NCOE synths are overpowering. This isn't an album favourite at the moment but I can start to understand the rushy excitement of being able to experiencing this live, perhaps at a festival. It's an excellent performance where the high notes wow.
The set ends with Cuckoo. The guitar sounds more electronic and less 70's wah-wah than some of the other recent versions. He forgets to censor himself for the f-words and I just love this version with his crazy dancing. It includes a jazzy psychedelic instrumental bridge just before the band intros.
DOWNLOAD full in-synch Kiss108 concert mp4 (136.17MB) Alternative download link
I think Trespassing is one of the most enjoyable songs performed live and it's absolutely fantastic to see such a huge crowd getting into it and clapping along.
Kickin' In is a rocking version with great funk guitar. I'm not sure the rock vibe works as well as the album version. Adam does some fun shuffly dancing and does lots of ad-libbing with his voice over the repetitive part towards the end.
Shady has a troubled start. Adam is unable to find the right pitch and sings the first verse off-key much lower than intended. I assume it's because he can't hear properly. He finds his way back when the guitar kicks in and does his best to make a good performance out of it. I still like it though, especially when we get to hear the more melodic part of his voice towards the end.
WWFM brings a shift in the mood and it's a beautiful sweeping dramatic ballad with lots of echo. The backing vocals are a little off at points but overall I like the effect they give. I'm growing to really love this arrangement.
At the start of Naked Love we hear Adam complain about the sound. He loses the hoody and makes an effort to be family friendly and not swear. I'm now starting to see the appeal of the song as it's so poppy and right for this kind of sunny summer singalong that gets the crowd going. I still don't like the ending though as it just fizzles out. I think Adam needs to sing a few notes to give it a definitive finish.
Oops Adam, I'm sure you weren't supposed to say "piss" in family-friendly mode. The NCOE synths are overpowering. This isn't an album favourite at the moment but I can start to understand the rushy excitement of being able to experiencing this live, perhaps at a festival. It's an excellent performance where the high notes wow.
The set ends with Cuckoo. The guitar sounds more electronic and less 70's wah-wah than some of the other recent versions. He forgets to censor himself for the f-words and I just love this version with his crazy dancing. It includes a jazzy psychedelic instrumental bridge just before the band intros.
DOWNLOAD full in-synch Kiss108 concert mp4 (136.17MB) Alternative download link
Fantabuloso
The set was made up of Trespassing, Kickin' in, Shady, WWFM, Cuckoo and NCOE. We finally have acceptable sound so here's my playlist and comments below:
Adam is dressed all in black apart from a leopardskin shirt. I wonder whether the black armband is for Donna Summer. Those trousers are impossibly tight!
Trespassing is fun and cheeky, make sure you catch that pelvic action just before the bridge. The vocals here are fantastic.
The instruments sound really loud and a bit off at times on this version of Kickin' In. Adam's shuffly bandy-legged dancing just before the bounce part is hilarious, he's such a dork. You can really appreciate his showmanship here he commands the stage.
This is the type of performance I missed during all the acoustic radio station gigs. I really like this Shady for Adam's energy and how he involves all the band members making the stage feel more than the sum of its parts. There's a lot of dancing and he just makes me want to get up too. I would like the bass to be louder, shaking my bones and making this feel a bit nasty but judging from the other mic-frying recordings, it's probably loud enough for the crowd.
I'm really loving this arrangement of WWFM, especially the unfamiliar start and that moment of recognition where the crowd all realise which song it is and cheer it on. It feels like a much grander affair than the rock and acoustic versions. I've heard this song a squillion times but find such enjoyment from this beautiful version. The only down side is that it doesn't quite seem to fit sandwiched between upbeat dancey songs in the set.
This Cuckoo is loose and camped up with some funny dance moves and hip action. It includes the band intros over a jazzy instrumental section and Adam sings it invariably well.
Adam's voice sounds strong and those wonderful long notes are a marvel on NCOE. This high-energy song is the perfect way to end the set.
Adam is dressed all in black apart from a leopardskin shirt. I wonder whether the black armband is for Donna Summer. Those trousers are impossibly tight!
Trespassing is fun and cheeky, make sure you catch that pelvic action just before the bridge. The vocals here are fantastic.
The instruments sound really loud and a bit off at times on this version of Kickin' In. Adam's shuffly bandy-legged dancing just before the bounce part is hilarious, he's such a dork. You can really appreciate his showmanship here he commands the stage.
This is the type of performance I missed during all the acoustic radio station gigs. I really like this Shady for Adam's energy and how he involves all the band members making the stage feel more than the sum of its parts. There's a lot of dancing and he just makes me want to get up too. I would like the bass to be louder, shaking my bones and making this feel a bit nasty but judging from the other mic-frying recordings, it's probably loud enough for the crowd.
I'm really loving this arrangement of WWFM, especially the unfamiliar start and that moment of recognition where the crowd all realise which song it is and cheer it on. It feels like a much grander affair than the rock and acoustic versions. I've heard this song a squillion times but find such enjoyment from this beautiful version. The only down side is that it doesn't quite seem to fit sandwiched between upbeat dancey songs in the set.
This Cuckoo is loose and camped up with some funny dance moves and hip action. It includes the band intros over a jazzy instrumental section and Adam sings it invariably well.
Adam's voice sounds strong and those wonderful long notes are a marvel on NCOE. This high-energy song is the perfect way to end the set.
Saturday, 19 May 2012
I Heart Radio - Trespassing Promo
For this concert, Adam looks fresh faced with lively hair. He's dressed mainly in black with a splash of colour from his silk leopardskin shirt:
Adam camps up Trespassing with his fun and fierce facial expressions to make it a blast. I got my wish where he left out the second "crack", leaving it to the backing singers. The high notes are always so impressive for this song, bright and brilliant. There's a lovely moment where he breaks out of the performer persona at the end to reveal a sweet smile.
Kickin' In has a great introduction that helps to build the excitement. During the first verse I can't hear much of Adam, just mainly the high backing vocals. The low scrapey tone comes in for the second verse though. It's a very cool performance but still find it rather repetitive towards the end despite his improvisations.
Shady doesn't have the most accurate start where Adam uses a part of his voice that I'm not used to hearing. It's less dance and much more rock than on the album, I guess because the electronic effects aren't so easy to recreate. I love the sticky bass sound.
WWFM has a very sombre intro with the piano and occasional big echoey drum. This rearranged moody version brings out the best of the beautiful textures in Adam's voice, stunning the audience into silence. The end is a surprising haunting one.
Adam doesn't sing all the verse lines of Broken English with half going to the backing singers, making it more like a conversation. It sounds very dreamy. He doesn't layer his vocals over the bridge for this version so instead we have Tommy doing a guitar solo. I would prefer Adam's voice but I do like the calmness of the guitar over the frenetic drumming. The final note is an effortlessly long and impressive one that comes unexpected.
Chokehold brings a beautiful soft sound to Adam's voice for the verses. I have to admit a mild obsession with the way he sings "pain" with such need. He again doesn't sing over the bridge, instead making use of the instrumentals and backing vocals.
I find Naked Love a bit too perky immediately after Chokehold but I like the giggling and enjoyment from Adam. The trumpety sound is a bit annoyingly distinct, and again the ending feels weird and indecisive. I guess it hasn't grown on me yet.
Cuckoo is thumping, sounding much funkier than the album version thanks to the guitar from Tommy. I love the electronic bass noises. This version includes an instrumental part with funk guitar and Adam riffing over the top. I love this one. There is a big rock finish.
Before NCOE, Adam reluctantly takes off his jacket after some audience banter. Apparently it ruins the whole look. I think that shirt could've done with some unbuttoning myself. There are less distinguishable electronic effects on this version and not the usual mighty runs on the big notes.
Adam camps up Trespassing with his fun and fierce facial expressions to make it a blast. I got my wish where he left out the second "crack", leaving it to the backing singers. The high notes are always so impressive for this song, bright and brilliant. There's a lovely moment where he breaks out of the performer persona at the end to reveal a sweet smile.
Kickin' In has a great introduction that helps to build the excitement. During the first verse I can't hear much of Adam, just mainly the high backing vocals. The low scrapey tone comes in for the second verse though. It's a very cool performance but still find it rather repetitive towards the end despite his improvisations.
Shady doesn't have the most accurate start where Adam uses a part of his voice that I'm not used to hearing. It's less dance and much more rock than on the album, I guess because the electronic effects aren't so easy to recreate. I love the sticky bass sound.
WWFM has a very sombre intro with the piano and occasional big echoey drum. This rearranged moody version brings out the best of the beautiful textures in Adam's voice, stunning the audience into silence. The end is a surprising haunting one.
Adam doesn't sing all the verse lines of Broken English with half going to the backing singers, making it more like a conversation. It sounds very dreamy. He doesn't layer his vocals over the bridge for this version so instead we have Tommy doing a guitar solo. I would prefer Adam's voice but I do like the calmness of the guitar over the frenetic drumming. The final note is an effortlessly long and impressive one that comes unexpected.
Chokehold brings a beautiful soft sound to Adam's voice for the verses. I have to admit a mild obsession with the way he sings "pain" with such need. He again doesn't sing over the bridge, instead making use of the instrumentals and backing vocals.
I find Naked Love a bit too perky immediately after Chokehold but I like the giggling and enjoyment from Adam. The trumpety sound is a bit annoyingly distinct, and again the ending feels weird and indecisive. I guess it hasn't grown on me yet.
Cuckoo is thumping, sounding much funkier than the album version thanks to the guitar from Tommy. I love the electronic bass noises. This version includes an instrumental part with funk guitar and Adam riffing over the top. I love this one. There is a big rock finish.
Before NCOE, Adam reluctantly takes off his jacket after some audience banter. Apparently it ruins the whole look. I think that shirt could've done with some unbuttoning myself. There are less distinguishable electronic effects on this version and not the usual mighty runs on the big notes.
Monday, 7 May 2012
Radio Promo Picks
This is long overdue but I still think it's a necessary post. Adam's radio gigs went by in a bit of blur and it was hard work staying on top of it all. But I have managed to watch and sort everything now, so here's a playlist of my recommendations:
I hope you'll find these highlights easily digestible, useful for catching up with, and finding for future reference. I tried my best to narrow down my favourite highlights but obviously picking one of each song was impossible. So we have the following:
BTIKM
B96 Chicago - Not the best quality, no tricks, but it's like looking in on a private moment. Very intimate and raw.
94.5 PST Princeton - I chose this for the sweet fluttery warbling near the end.
106.1 Kiss FM Seattle - Excellent quality, beautiful tone and different set of notes to finish.
OOL
Kidd Kraddick Dallas - The guitar isn't great but the quality is and Adam's emotive voice is wonderful.
WWFM
Q100 Atlanta Bert Show - The video is beautifully shot and Adam's rich voice is perfection.
99.7 The Point Kansas - There's a big note wow moment and Adam plays around with the melody in a new way.
Mix 106.5 San Jose - Adam sings a very different-sounding bridge that hasn't been done before.
Fever
Mix 104.1 Boston - This was only Fever I'm aware of, lots of freestyling and so much fun.
Trespassing
93.9 Lite FM Chicago - Foot-stomping fun as Adam's voice soars towards the end.
Mix 93.3 Kansas - This version is unexpectedly extended and Adam fills it with excellent improv.
104.3 MY FM LA - This is the only version with a drum, giving a different vibe. The sound is great though a bit out of synch.
Cuckoo
105.1 The Buzz Portland - Adam is brilliant in voice, doing plenty of riffing on this fun theatrical version.
Energy 103.7 San Diego - Lots of cheeky attitude as Adam dances in his seat and claps in this mic-less version.
NCOE
Star 101.3 San Francisco - Some magnificent powerful glory notes in this.
Live 95.5 Bing Lounge Portland - The vocals are majestic and the quality is excellent.
I hope you'll find these highlights easily digestible, useful for catching up with, and finding for future reference. I tried my best to narrow down my favourite highlights but obviously picking one of each song was impossible. So we have the following:
BTIKM
B96 Chicago - Not the best quality, no tricks, but it's like looking in on a private moment. Very intimate and raw.
94.5 PST Princeton - I chose this for the sweet fluttery warbling near the end.
106.1 Kiss FM Seattle - Excellent quality, beautiful tone and different set of notes to finish.
OOL
Kidd Kraddick Dallas - The guitar isn't great but the quality is and Adam's emotive voice is wonderful.
WWFM
Q100 Atlanta Bert Show - The video is beautifully shot and Adam's rich voice is perfection.
99.7 The Point Kansas - There's a big note wow moment and Adam plays around with the melody in a new way.
Mix 106.5 San Jose - Adam sings a very different-sounding bridge that hasn't been done before.
Fever
Mix 104.1 Boston - This was only Fever I'm aware of, lots of freestyling and so much fun.
Trespassing
93.9 Lite FM Chicago - Foot-stomping fun as Adam's voice soars towards the end.
Mix 93.3 Kansas - This version is unexpectedly extended and Adam fills it with excellent improv.
104.3 MY FM LA - This is the only version with a drum, giving a different vibe. The sound is great though a bit out of synch.
Cuckoo
105.1 The Buzz Portland - Adam is brilliant in voice, doing plenty of riffing on this fun theatrical version.
Energy 103.7 San Diego - Lots of cheeky attitude as Adam dances in his seat and claps in this mic-less version.
NCOE
Star 101.3 San Francisco - Some magnificent powerful glory notes in this.
Live 95.5 Bing Lounge Portland - The vocals are majestic and the quality is excellent.
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Promo Rounds Portland-California
Here's the final leg of Adam's radio promo tour that include all the performances from Portland to those in California (Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego and LA) and my brief comments below:
Live 95.5 Bing Lounge
This acoustic event was live streamed and the recordings are excellent quality.
BTIKM - A steady solid performance.
Part of Me - Adam breaks into an impromptu rendition of Katy Perry's Part of Me, the lucky audience getting a few a cappella bars as a treat as he swivels about on his stool.
NCOE - Adam gives this song a hugely impressive debut with a majestic rock vocal. Tommy's guitar is rapid-fire for this uptempo song but Adam's brilliant voice has plenty of breathing space to soar, especially when he belts out "eyes". After listening to the studio version, this doesn't progress with the same satisfying build-up due to less variation in intensity, but there are a few wow moments when he lets his voice rip at the end.
WWFM - My favourite rough tone features quite a lot in this rendition. It doesn't have any new tricks but it's a reliably good performance.
105.1 The Buzz
WWFM - Very good performance, rich tone.
Cuckoo - A fun energetic one with complete with occasional jazz hands. Adam mixes and scratches on some imaginary decks, unable to resist moving to the music.
Z100 Portland
The sound is a bit tinny on these recordings as Adam does this set completely unplugged, without a mic. BTIKM - This seems to bounce along with a faster tempo than usual and Adam chooses some lower note variations.
Cuckoo - Adam has a lot of fun with this censored version, sometimes it's a wonder that he manages to stay balanced on his stool he's moving so much. Needless to say, his voice is in fine form.
Now 100.5
Another mic-less performance sat on the edge of a stage, I wonder whether Adam's wearing a baseball cap due to a bad hair day.
BTIKM - Ever-impressive vocals in a good performance. Despite the hat.
Alice 97.3
BTIKM - Control freak Adam is a little unhappy with the guitar volume, signalling for a number of adjustments. This isn't a wildly different rendition but still strong in voice, barring an iffy note near the end.
Cuckoo - Adam starts playing around with the tune a little here, introducing some rich low notes, the timbre of which is my favourite. The audience gets quite into this, shouting "Cuckoo" back at him.
Trespassing - It's good to hear a responsive audience that really gets into this one and Adam belts out some mighty impressive resounding notes.
Star 101.3
The sound quality is very good on these recordings.
BTIKM - A strong performance with some subtle changes at the climax.
NCOE - Adam gives a magnificent vocal for this hectic song with jaw-dropping power notes coming right at the end.
Cuckoo - I love the attitude with which Adam sings this, obviously having plenty of fun. His voice sounds delicious and he adds in a bit of improv.
Mix 106.5
Adam decides to hide his hair under a baseball cap for this event.
BTIKM - This is quite a smooth, mellow performance with a gentler vocal than usual, making use of falsetto rather than full belt.
WWFM - Quite a slow version with beautifully tender vocals. This has a very different bridge with Adam sweetly warbling his way through. Don't miss this.
Energy 103.7
This set is 100% unplugged, no mic, no amp.
Cuckoo - Adam really enjoys acting up to this one with his expressions and dramatics. Superb.
Star 94.1
This is another set where Adam wears a baseball cap. Unfortunately the sound on the recordings is unbalanced.
BTIKM - A consistently good performance without any new tricks.
WWFM - Adam's voice sounds tip-top and he plays around with the riffs on this version.
104.3 MY FM
This set of videos is excellent in quality and the sound is superb. Isaac returns with percussion for this acoustic set and Adam is wearing leopardskin leggings.
BTIKM - The drums make a huge difference, bringing a different, more dramatic feel to the song. Adam's vocals aren't vastly different to what we've heard before but as usual are flawless.
WWFM - The texture of Adam's voice here is simply gorgeous, especially during those high notes.
NCOE - This is an exhilarating performance and the addition of drums adds to the excitement. I much prefer the rhythms in the choruses here to those on the single. It's more drum'n'bass than house, with a deft light touch rather than the clunky repetition. There are less wow notes and little improvisation vocally but it's still a joy. Unfortunately the editing of this video has left some parts a bit out of synch.
Trespassing - I love this version, funky as hell especially with the inclusion of the stomping beat. But the video has the same problem as NCOE with parts out of synch.
Live 95.5 Bing Lounge
This acoustic event was live streamed and the recordings are excellent quality.
BTIKM - A steady solid performance.
Part of Me - Adam breaks into an impromptu rendition of Katy Perry's Part of Me, the lucky audience getting a few a cappella bars as a treat as he swivels about on his stool.
NCOE - Adam gives this song a hugely impressive debut with a majestic rock vocal. Tommy's guitar is rapid-fire for this uptempo song but Adam's brilliant voice has plenty of breathing space to soar, especially when he belts out "eyes". After listening to the studio version, this doesn't progress with the same satisfying build-up due to less variation in intensity, but there are a few wow moments when he lets his voice rip at the end.
WWFM - My favourite rough tone features quite a lot in this rendition. It doesn't have any new tricks but it's a reliably good performance.
105.1 The Buzz
WWFM - Very good performance, rich tone.
Cuckoo - A fun energetic one with complete with occasional jazz hands. Adam mixes and scratches on some imaginary decks, unable to resist moving to the music.
Z100 Portland
The sound is a bit tinny on these recordings as Adam does this set completely unplugged, without a mic. BTIKM - This seems to bounce along with a faster tempo than usual and Adam chooses some lower note variations.
Cuckoo - Adam has a lot of fun with this censored version, sometimes it's a wonder that he manages to stay balanced on his stool he's moving so much. Needless to say, his voice is in fine form.
Now 100.5
Another mic-less performance sat on the edge of a stage, I wonder whether Adam's wearing a baseball cap due to a bad hair day.
BTIKM - Ever-impressive vocals in a good performance. Despite the hat.
Alice 97.3
BTIKM - Control freak Adam is a little unhappy with the guitar volume, signalling for a number of adjustments. This isn't a wildly different rendition but still strong in voice, barring an iffy note near the end.
Cuckoo - Adam starts playing around with the tune a little here, introducing some rich low notes, the timbre of which is my favourite. The audience gets quite into this, shouting "Cuckoo" back at him.
Trespassing - It's good to hear a responsive audience that really gets into this one and Adam belts out some mighty impressive resounding notes.
Star 101.3
The sound quality is very good on these recordings.
BTIKM - A strong performance with some subtle changes at the climax.
NCOE - Adam gives a magnificent vocal for this hectic song with jaw-dropping power notes coming right at the end.
Cuckoo - I love the attitude with which Adam sings this, obviously having plenty of fun. His voice sounds delicious and he adds in a bit of improv.
Mix 106.5
Adam decides to hide his hair under a baseball cap for this event.
BTIKM - This is quite a smooth, mellow performance with a gentler vocal than usual, making use of falsetto rather than full belt.
WWFM - Quite a slow version with beautifully tender vocals. This has a very different bridge with Adam sweetly warbling his way through. Don't miss this.
Energy 103.7
This set is 100% unplugged, no mic, no amp.
Cuckoo - Adam really enjoys acting up to this one with his expressions and dramatics. Superb.
Star 94.1
This is another set where Adam wears a baseball cap. Unfortunately the sound on the recordings is unbalanced.
BTIKM - A consistently good performance without any new tricks.
WWFM - Adam's voice sounds tip-top and he plays around with the riffs on this version.
104.3 MY FM
This set of videos is excellent in quality and the sound is superb. Isaac returns with percussion for this acoustic set and Adam is wearing leopardskin leggings.
BTIKM - The drums make a huge difference, bringing a different, more dramatic feel to the song. Adam's vocals aren't vastly different to what we've heard before but as usual are flawless.
WWFM - The texture of Adam's voice here is simply gorgeous, especially during those high notes.
NCOE - This is an exhilarating performance and the addition of drums adds to the excitement. I much prefer the rhythms in the choruses here to those on the single. It's more drum'n'bass than house, with a deft light touch rather than the clunky repetition. There are less wow notes and little improvisation vocally but it's still a joy. Unfortunately the editing of this video has left some parts a bit out of synch.
Trespassing - I love this version, funky as hell especially with the inclusion of the stomping beat. But the video has the same problem as NCOE with parts out of synch.
Promo Rounds Chicago-Kansas-SLC-Seattle
Here's the playlist of Adam's promo rounds from Chicago to Seattle and some brief comments about each of the performances:
93.9 Lite FM
WWFM - Adam addresses the crowd as his babies and gives a spot-on vocal with lots of interesting little changes and riffs that are quite different from anything he's done so far for this song.
BTIKM - This splendid vocal is pretty close to perfect and it's great to see him having fun pointing at the audience and laughing at himself at the end.
Trespassing - This is a massively enjoyable one that's not to be missed. It's impossible to stay still through this. Adam stamps and provides his own bit of percussion at the start and it looks to me like he's demonstrating a higher tempo that he wants Tommy to follow with his guitar playing. He misses his cue for the second verse and laughs at himself. The stamping kicks back in later on as Tommy appears to slow down. His voice has the perfect roughness and rings with such clarity despite the rapid delivery. Fantastic stuff.
B96 FM
BTIKM - This one is another 100% unplugged performance without amps and mics. It seems to be a much more internalised affair without the outward expression for a targetted audience. He has closed eyes or looks at the floor for much of it, like he is deep in contemplation, in the zone if you like, singing for himself. Maybe it's partly due to the lack of mic focal point. The emotion is expressed is raw and I can't help but feel that we are looking in on him when vulnerable, at a private moment. Not the best recording but a wonderful performance.
101.9 FM The Mix
BTIKM - Adam finds himself smiling through some of this and you have to wonder what he's thinking about. Pretty vocals with mic-frazzling belting.
99.7 The Point
BTIKM - This one has a super long glory note.
WWFM - There's a variation on the freak line and a wow moment towards the end as Adam stretches a big note and plays around with the melody.
Cuckoo - The first acoustic performance of this song, you can't help but move to it. Adam's in magnificent voice but I think it would work better with drums driving the beat.
Mix 93.3
BTIKM - This gets off to a slightly slow start but once it gets going, Adam's full voice is a joy to listen to.
Cuckoo - Adam can't resist dancing in his seat and censors the f-word in the lyrics. His voice has a bit of a rock edge and there's lots of improvisation towards the end.
Trespassing - A great energetic performance where Adam seems to hump his stool. I think it's meant to have an abrupt ending where Adam does the cut sign, but it seems Tommy is oblivious and keeps playing. It's all to our benefit through as we hear just that little bit more.
Mix 107.9
This is another mic-less set.
BTIKM - It's a quiet start but you can really appreciate the volume range at which Adam sings.
WWFM - Adam's voice sounds so sweet and smooth here in this mellow performance with great use of both falsetto and belt towards the end.
Cuckoo - Adam leaves out the F-words in this rendition and rouses the audience to laugh as he swings an imaginary lasso while sitting on an imaginary horse for dancing. There's a lot of thigh-slapping and improvising towards the end.
97.1 ZHT / My 99.5
BTIKM - This one is sweet and floaty with an impressive crescendo.
Cuckoo - Again, Adam leaves out the swearing in this very fun version where Adam's wonderful voice shines.
106.1 Kiss FM
BTIKM - Performed live on air in the studio, there is excellent quality sound on this recording. Adam's voice sounds velvety smooth and so close. We get to hear a very different set of notes at the end as he continues to make every single performance unique.
Amazon Fishbowl
This was a corporate event at Amazon's HQ.
Trespassing - Adam's voice sounds full and brilliant with that gorgeous and slightly rough tone.
93.9 Lite FM
WWFM - Adam addresses the crowd as his babies and gives a spot-on vocal with lots of interesting little changes and riffs that are quite different from anything he's done so far for this song.
BTIKM - This splendid vocal is pretty close to perfect and it's great to see him having fun pointing at the audience and laughing at himself at the end.
Trespassing - This is a massively enjoyable one that's not to be missed. It's impossible to stay still through this. Adam stamps and provides his own bit of percussion at the start and it looks to me like he's demonstrating a higher tempo that he wants Tommy to follow with his guitar playing. He misses his cue for the second verse and laughs at himself. The stamping kicks back in later on as Tommy appears to slow down. His voice has the perfect roughness and rings with such clarity despite the rapid delivery. Fantastic stuff.
B96 FM
BTIKM - This one is another 100% unplugged performance without amps and mics. It seems to be a much more internalised affair without the outward expression for a targetted audience. He has closed eyes or looks at the floor for much of it, like he is deep in contemplation, in the zone if you like, singing for himself. Maybe it's partly due to the lack of mic focal point. The emotion is expressed is raw and I can't help but feel that we are looking in on him when vulnerable, at a private moment. Not the best recording but a wonderful performance.
101.9 FM The Mix
BTIKM - Adam finds himself smiling through some of this and you have to wonder what he's thinking about. Pretty vocals with mic-frazzling belting.
99.7 The Point
BTIKM - This one has a super long glory note.
WWFM - There's a variation on the freak line and a wow moment towards the end as Adam stretches a big note and plays around with the melody.
Cuckoo - The first acoustic performance of this song, you can't help but move to it. Adam's in magnificent voice but I think it would work better with drums driving the beat.
Mix 93.3
BTIKM - This gets off to a slightly slow start but once it gets going, Adam's full voice is a joy to listen to.
Cuckoo - Adam can't resist dancing in his seat and censors the f-word in the lyrics. His voice has a bit of a rock edge and there's lots of improvisation towards the end.
Trespassing - A great energetic performance where Adam seems to hump his stool. I think it's meant to have an abrupt ending where Adam does the cut sign, but it seems Tommy is oblivious and keeps playing. It's all to our benefit through as we hear just that little bit more.
Mix 107.9
This is another mic-less set.
BTIKM - It's a quiet start but you can really appreciate the volume range at which Adam sings.
WWFM - Adam's voice sounds so sweet and smooth here in this mellow performance with great use of both falsetto and belt towards the end.
Cuckoo - Adam leaves out the F-words in this rendition and rouses the audience to laugh as he swings an imaginary lasso while sitting on an imaginary horse for dancing. There's a lot of thigh-slapping and improvising towards the end.
97.1 ZHT / My 99.5
BTIKM - This one is sweet and floaty with an impressive crescendo.
Cuckoo - Again, Adam leaves out the swearing in this very fun version where Adam's wonderful voice shines.
106.1 Kiss FM
BTIKM - Performed live on air in the studio, there is excellent quality sound on this recording. Adam's voice sounds velvety smooth and so close. We get to hear a very different set of notes at the end as he continues to make every single performance unique.
Amazon Fishbowl
This was a corporate event at Amazon's HQ.
Trespassing - Adam's voice sounds full and brilliant with that gorgeous and slightly rough tone.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Promo Rounds Atlanta-Nashville-DC-Hartford-Boston
Here's the next set of videos from the radio promo rounds covering Atlanta to Boston, and my brief notes below:
Q100 The Bert Show
BTIKM - This was performed live on air in studio and is a lovely quality recording. Adam has a falsetto crescendo as opposed to belt.
WWFM - We can hear Adam's delightful breathy voice here and I'm liking the low "Just keep coming around".
Star 94 FM
BTIKM - Adam performs this one in front of a live audience with a pretty floaty, grainy voice and low improvisations.
WWFM - This has a beautiful powerful finish.
Q100 Jezebel magazine launch party
It's great to see Adam back in a suit again, I've missed it. The resemblance to Elvis is more than passing with half-down hair. Adam performs with his whole band fully plugged in.
FYE - The drums are very loud on the recording and strangely Adams's not dancing to this rock rendition.
IIHY - Adam looks so formally dressed for this one, not dancing but with waggly leg.
Fever - Adam's wearing spray-on trousers with a weird pullover/bib type thing, which can be seen with the removal of his jacket. There's lots of hip action here, accentuated by his dangly belt accoutrement.
Cuckoo - This upbeat song features lots of strutty dancing. It has an element of funk but it's not picked up by the recording. It's quite hard to distinguish the bassline and the hook.
Chokehold - This sounds like soft rock with an epic big production feel that will draw comparisons with Sleepwalker. It has an interesting melody which I like, contrasting higher register soft vocals with a heavy beat. I can hear the guitar riffs in some other song whose name escapes me. Adam is very expressive but there's also some attitude in there which I love.
Trespassing - The songs has lots of tricky lyrics that are very easy to stumble upon. Even though the recording isn't very good, it's stompy and has a great vibe with Adam finally getting his groove on. He's a little flat in places but his vocals are bright and it's easy to see why this is the album's title track.
107.5 The River
From here on, there is a change in personnel as Tommy replaces Kevin on guitar for these acoustic radio performances. BTIKM - This is a much less bouncy, rather calm measured performance with pretty vocals and a soft ending.
WWFM - The guitar finally sounds right here. I guess it was Kevin's guitar that was unpleasant to my ears. I still don't know whether it was a rattly string or his playing. Adam's voice is velvety but hard and he requests for guitar to be turned up.
Radio 107.3 FM Gibson Guitar Showrooms
BTIKM - Strong and note perfect, it's just a pity that a pro recording hasn't been made available yet.
WWFM - Adam's voice is rich and full with a glorious belt and low variation on the last "Need a second to breathe".
Hot 99.5
BTIKM - Adam's voice is frustratingly quiet on the recording and Tommy seems to make a little mistake midway through. This version is well worth listening to as the climax is quite different.
WWFM - This is another that's well worth listening to. Again, Adam's voice is in the background on this recording but listen out for the change-ups on the first "Here we are", the lead-up to the bridge and right at the end. There's also a minor lyric fail in there.
94.7 Fresh FM
BTIKM - Adam's voice has much of that sweet floaty quality that leads to an almighty belt.
WWFM - Adam addresses the crowd as his babies in that part of the lyric. His voice here is just beautiful, full of that grainy timbre especially near the finish. His change in melody for the final "WWFM?" is just delightful.
KISS 95.7 / KC101.3 Dunkin' Donuts lounge
BTIKM - A strong consistent one from Adam. Tommy appears to make a mistake on the guitar and almost stops altogether but Adam does a fantastic job of trying to cover it up by singing through it with abundant power.
WWFM - Adam's voice sounds beautifully growly on one of the choruses. He appears to hit a bum note at one point, but proceeds to guide it into a pleasant melodic improv last heard at the 107.3 gig that he repeats later on.
KC 101.3
BTIKM (Studio audience) - This is a mic-less, tech-less unplugged performance where the lucky audience is able to appreciate the pure raw beauty of Adam's voice. Some nice riffs in there.
WWFM - This is quite a gentle version where Adam uses much more of his falsetto than usual, the melody seeming to hover around the tricky bridge between registers. He amps up the power towards the end though.
BTIKM (Live on air) - Adam stands up for this one and I wonder whether in a hectic schedule he's trying to conserve his voice just a touch. The high parts of the song get no powerbelt treatment and are all done in a pretty warbling falsetto with riffs that must be heard.
96.5 TIC FM
BTIKM - This one's a strong performance with the return of Adam's belting and a surprisingly gentle finish.
WWFM - There's a little variation on the "I'm a freak" line and some very different and unexpected plays on the timing with stretched notes and pauses.
Mix 104.1
BTIKM - A consistently good performance that was live streamed from the station.
Fever - A fun rendition with a cheeky "baby steps" lyric addition. Adam enjoys this theatrical one with laughs aplenty and freestyles his way though the second half of the song.
KISS 108 FM
BTIKM - A typically strong performance in voice with a couple of hesitant notes where it seems like he only decides mid-way where the note is going to go.
Trespassing - This is the first performance for a radio audience, performed with attitude as Adam dances in his seat. His timbre is magnificently powerful and grainy. It feels like the song keeps picking up pace going faster and faster and Adam has to finally tell Tommy to stop. Unfortunately there are some rare bum notes at the end which spoil it for me.
104.5 WXLO
WWFM - The quality of recordings here are beautiful and Adam expertly showcases the rich resonant scrapey lower tone of his voice. He calls for the guitar to be made louder. BTIKM - This is Adam's voice at its glorious best. Flawless.
Q100 The Bert Show
BTIKM - This was performed live on air in studio and is a lovely quality recording. Adam has a falsetto crescendo as opposed to belt.
WWFM - We can hear Adam's delightful breathy voice here and I'm liking the low "Just keep coming around".
Star 94 FM
BTIKM - Adam performs this one in front of a live audience with a pretty floaty, grainy voice and low improvisations.
WWFM - This has a beautiful powerful finish.
Q100 Jezebel magazine launch party
It's great to see Adam back in a suit again, I've missed it. The resemblance to Elvis is more than passing with half-down hair. Adam performs with his whole band fully plugged in.
FYE - The drums are very loud on the recording and strangely Adams's not dancing to this rock rendition.
IIHY - Adam looks so formally dressed for this one, not dancing but with waggly leg.
Fever - Adam's wearing spray-on trousers with a weird pullover/bib type thing, which can be seen with the removal of his jacket. There's lots of hip action here, accentuated by his dangly belt accoutrement.
Cuckoo - This upbeat song features lots of strutty dancing. It has an element of funk but it's not picked up by the recording. It's quite hard to distinguish the bassline and the hook.
Chokehold - This sounds like soft rock with an epic big production feel that will draw comparisons with Sleepwalker. It has an interesting melody which I like, contrasting higher register soft vocals with a heavy beat. I can hear the guitar riffs in some other song whose name escapes me. Adam is very expressive but there's also some attitude in there which I love.
Trespassing - The songs has lots of tricky lyrics that are very easy to stumble upon. Even though the recording isn't very good, it's stompy and has a great vibe with Adam finally getting his groove on. He's a little flat in places but his vocals are bright and it's easy to see why this is the album's title track.
107.5 The River
From here on, there is a change in personnel as Tommy replaces Kevin on guitar for these acoustic radio performances. BTIKM - This is a much less bouncy, rather calm measured performance with pretty vocals and a soft ending.
WWFM - The guitar finally sounds right here. I guess it was Kevin's guitar that was unpleasant to my ears. I still don't know whether it was a rattly string or his playing. Adam's voice is velvety but hard and he requests for guitar to be turned up.
Radio 107.3 FM Gibson Guitar Showrooms
BTIKM - Strong and note perfect, it's just a pity that a pro recording hasn't been made available yet.
WWFM - Adam's voice is rich and full with a glorious belt and low variation on the last "Need a second to breathe".
Hot 99.5
BTIKM - Adam's voice is frustratingly quiet on the recording and Tommy seems to make a little mistake midway through. This version is well worth listening to as the climax is quite different.
WWFM - This is another that's well worth listening to. Again, Adam's voice is in the background on this recording but listen out for the change-ups on the first "Here we are", the lead-up to the bridge and right at the end. There's also a minor lyric fail in there.
94.7 Fresh FM
BTIKM - Adam's voice has much of that sweet floaty quality that leads to an almighty belt.
WWFM - Adam addresses the crowd as his babies in that part of the lyric. His voice here is just beautiful, full of that grainy timbre especially near the finish. His change in melody for the final "WWFM?" is just delightful.
KISS 95.7 / KC101.3 Dunkin' Donuts lounge
BTIKM - A strong consistent one from Adam. Tommy appears to make a mistake on the guitar and almost stops altogether but Adam does a fantastic job of trying to cover it up by singing through it with abundant power.
WWFM - Adam's voice sounds beautifully growly on one of the choruses. He appears to hit a bum note at one point, but proceeds to guide it into a pleasant melodic improv last heard at the 107.3 gig that he repeats later on.
KC 101.3
BTIKM (Studio audience) - This is a mic-less, tech-less unplugged performance where the lucky audience is able to appreciate the pure raw beauty of Adam's voice. Some nice riffs in there.
WWFM - This is quite a gentle version where Adam uses much more of his falsetto than usual, the melody seeming to hover around the tricky bridge between registers. He amps up the power towards the end though.
BTIKM (Live on air) - Adam stands up for this one and I wonder whether in a hectic schedule he's trying to conserve his voice just a touch. The high parts of the song get no powerbelt treatment and are all done in a pretty warbling falsetto with riffs that must be heard.
96.5 TIC FM
BTIKM - This one's a strong performance with the return of Adam's belting and a surprisingly gentle finish.
WWFM - There's a little variation on the "I'm a freak" line and some very different and unexpected plays on the timing with stretched notes and pauses.
Mix 104.1
BTIKM - A consistently good performance that was live streamed from the station.
Fever - A fun rendition with a cheeky "baby steps" lyric addition. Adam enjoys this theatrical one with laughs aplenty and freestyles his way though the second half of the song.
KISS 108 FM
BTIKM - A typically strong performance in voice with a couple of hesitant notes where it seems like he only decides mid-way where the note is going to go.
Trespassing - This is the first performance for a radio audience, performed with attitude as Adam dances in his seat. His timbre is magnificently powerful and grainy. It feels like the song keeps picking up pace going faster and faster and Adam has to finally tell Tommy to stop. Unfortunately there are some rare bum notes at the end which spoil it for me.
104.5 WXLO
WWFM - The quality of recordings here are beautiful and Adam expertly showcases the rich resonant scrapey lower tone of his voice. He calls for the guitar to be made louder. BTIKM - This is Adam's voice at its glorious best. Flawless.
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Radio Promo Rounds
As there are so many videos from this round of promo, instead of doing a post for each, I've put them all together in the embedded playlist below along with some brief comments. There are 15 performances in 14 videos in at 8 different stations. There should be more but we don't have anything yet for Sirius XM.
95.5 WPLJ New York
WWFM features Kevin strumming on guitar, and as before, I still feel that there's something slightly unpleasant about the sound. Maybe it's one string that's affecting the balance of the chords, I don't have enough expertise to put my finger on it. The performance has quite a lively energy and it's rather endearing to see Adam twisting around on his swivel chair. I'm pleased to hear Adam still changing it up with a lovely run on 'now' and notable variations at the end.
This BTIKM has only a guitar accompaniment so I'm thrilled they decided to dispense with the drum machine. It's very quiet, all the better for hearing Adam's gentle voice, which has quite a bit of an echo. We realise it's only quiet because the mic's too far away and someone comes to move it closer. The expression on Adam's face when it happens is priceless but he's unaffected by it, showing no signs of being distracted with the beautiful vocals and harmonies.
Fresh 102.7 FM New York
Again, there's something with the guitar that sounds imperfect to me in this WWFM. There are more variations to this one and I really like the low 'Just keep coming around' and how Adam plays with the timing at the end. He takes the unusual step of singing a final 'me' which doesn't sound like 'may'.
He sounds wonderful on this slightly mournful BTIKM, even though there is a shaky moment at 'All along' from which he quickly recovers. There's less grain in his voice than some of the other versions but there are so many pretty embellishments, especially on the 'whoa's near the end.
B104 Allentown
This WWFM sounds quite different with lovely improvisations in both the melody of riffs and the timing.
BTIKM has a wonderful ending which alternates rapidly between power and tenderness, a bit like the contrasting sides of himself in the video.
94.5 PST Princeton
This BTIKM is a bouncy one that sounds rushed compared to some of the others. I realise that I always look forward to listening to ending of his performances, not only for the crescendoes but I think he's at his best and vocally most creative when he's outside of the confines of song structure. This is one ending that I love, where his sweet falsetto floats like the chirping of a songbird at dawn.
This WWFM features lots of the rougher texture of Adam's voice.
Q102 (Mix 106.1) Philly
This WWFM, although acoustic, has a harder edge than the others.
It's during this performance of BTIKM that I really get to appreciate the the less-is-more beauty of the bridge which goes from a hectic plucking of the guitar evoking the chaotic feeling of being rushed, to the soothing tranquility of ''Cause I need you now'. It's like the climax of the song, counter-intuitively, is a diminuendo. A powerful, belting performance.
B98.5 Jersey Shore
Unusual for any performance, this mini-set has no speakers set up for the audience. It's my dream to be able to hear Adam's actual, unprocessed singing voice that hasn't gone through any audio equipment. Lucky them. This is the first performance where Adam skips all the yodelly parts, and I actually prefer it as it sounds more elegant. Without backing vocals, Adam balances his delicate falsetto with some belting freestyling at the end.
WWFM is powerful and more aggressive than the other versions.
94.3 The Point
BTIKM is rather fast and bouncy, again without backing vocals and yodelly parts. Adam is spectacular in voice in both falsetto and belt.
There is little to report about this WWFM other than the voice being near perfect.
92.7 WOBM
Adam seems to have only sung WWFM at this station. There's not a lot that's particularly different about this version but this is as perfect as it gets.
95.5 WPLJ New York
WWFM features Kevin strumming on guitar, and as before, I still feel that there's something slightly unpleasant about the sound. Maybe it's one string that's affecting the balance of the chords, I don't have enough expertise to put my finger on it. The performance has quite a lively energy and it's rather endearing to see Adam twisting around on his swivel chair. I'm pleased to hear Adam still changing it up with a lovely run on 'now' and notable variations at the end.
This BTIKM has only a guitar accompaniment so I'm thrilled they decided to dispense with the drum machine. It's very quiet, all the better for hearing Adam's gentle voice, which has quite a bit of an echo. We realise it's only quiet because the mic's too far away and someone comes to move it closer. The expression on Adam's face when it happens is priceless but he's unaffected by it, showing no signs of being distracted with the beautiful vocals and harmonies.
Fresh 102.7 FM New York
Again, there's something with the guitar that sounds imperfect to me in this WWFM. There are more variations to this one and I really like the low 'Just keep coming around' and how Adam plays with the timing at the end. He takes the unusual step of singing a final 'me' which doesn't sound like 'may'.
He sounds wonderful on this slightly mournful BTIKM, even though there is a shaky moment at 'All along' from which he quickly recovers. There's less grain in his voice than some of the other versions but there are so many pretty embellishments, especially on the 'whoa's near the end.
B104 Allentown
This WWFM sounds quite different with lovely improvisations in both the melody of riffs and the timing.
BTIKM has a wonderful ending which alternates rapidly between power and tenderness, a bit like the contrasting sides of himself in the video.
94.5 PST Princeton
This BTIKM is a bouncy one that sounds rushed compared to some of the others. I realise that I always look forward to listening to ending of his performances, not only for the crescendoes but I think he's at his best and vocally most creative when he's outside of the confines of song structure. This is one ending that I love, where his sweet falsetto floats like the chirping of a songbird at dawn.
This WWFM features lots of the rougher texture of Adam's voice.
Q102 (Mix 106.1) Philly
This WWFM, although acoustic, has a harder edge than the others.
It's during this performance of BTIKM that I really get to appreciate the the less-is-more beauty of the bridge which goes from a hectic plucking of the guitar evoking the chaotic feeling of being rushed, to the soothing tranquility of ''Cause I need you now'. It's like the climax of the song, counter-intuitively, is a diminuendo. A powerful, belting performance.
B98.5 Jersey Shore
Unusual for any performance, this mini-set has no speakers set up for the audience. It's my dream to be able to hear Adam's actual, unprocessed singing voice that hasn't gone through any audio equipment. Lucky them. This is the first performance where Adam skips all the yodelly parts, and I actually prefer it as it sounds more elegant. Without backing vocals, Adam balances his delicate falsetto with some belting freestyling at the end.
WWFM is powerful and more aggressive than the other versions.
94.3 The Point
BTIKM is rather fast and bouncy, again without backing vocals and yodelly parts. Adam is spectacular in voice in both falsetto and belt.
There is little to report about this WWFM other than the voice being near perfect.
92.7 WOBM
Adam seems to have only sung WWFM at this station. There's not a lot that's particularly different about this version but this is as perfect as it gets.
Friday, 2 March 2012
HR3 Radio Germany - Better Than I Know Myself
As you can tell, I'm a bit behind on all the reviews after the overload of radio promo performances (imagine what it would've been like for him!) so I'm going to just post brief comments with the videos.
Adam performed this BTIKM at Germany's HR3 radio station on his birthday, dressed as Light!Adam in what looks to be a turtleneck for those with necks the width of a torso. It looks so comfortable, ideal slouchwear but there's no slouching here.
An acoustic performance with Kevin, Isaac and Tommy, the piano is flowy and Adam's voice has a beautiful balance of both tenderness and grit.
Adam performed this BTIKM at Germany's HR3 radio station on his birthday, dressed as Light!Adam in what looks to be a turtleneck for those with necks the width of a torso. It looks so comfortable, ideal slouchwear but there's no slouching here.
An acoustic performance with Kevin, Isaac and Tommy, the piano is flowy and Adam's voice has a beautiful balance of both tenderness and grit.
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