A perfect end to a beautiful season at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Natalie Merchant returns as a Goddess of the Earth, crying out for connection and wisdom.
By John Lavitt
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 06-06-2024
As an iconic singer-songwriter, Natalie Merchant’s voice is instantly recognizable for its emotional resonance and depth. From her time as the founding lead singer of 10,000 Maniacs, she has been a voice of wisdom and connection in American popular culture. However, a health scare and the COVID pandemic forced her out of the public eye. On Saturday, June 1st, she made a triumphant return, kicking off the summer with an inspired performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Accompanied by a stellar band that included a string quartet and guest horns, Natalie Merchant’s performance was a testament to her energy and passion. At sixty years old, she has embraced her age with determination and class, allowing her long white locks to flow freely without dyes or added visual enumerations. Like a Goddess risen from the earth, in all her matronly glory, she took over the stage, spinning and dancing with a verve that celebrates her essential spirit.
Supported by talented vocalist Abena Koomson-Davis, Natalie Merchant sang with a sense of a greater mission. Focusing on songs from Keep Your Courage, her eighth studio album released on April 14, 2023, by Nonesuch Records, she performed an array of powerful new songs. These included “Big Girls,” “Narcissus,” “Come On, Aphrodite,” and “Eye of the Storm.” Each song is a composition of spiritual depth and great intelligence that reveals the power and style of her ongoing creative output.
Highlights of the show included “Ophelia,” a song that remains incredibly current, and the encores of the beloved “Kind and Generous” and “Carnival.” However, there was a good chance that such highlights would never happen again. After severely damaging her vocal cords to the point where she believed her singing career had ended, it was lovely to see the singer back in her element. She is a true example of fighting against desperate odds to return to sacred grounds.
Ultimately, Natalie Merchant proved to be an artist of tremendous significance and relevance. Her message resonated so well in the Walt Disney Concert Hall as the acoustic design of the brilliant Frank Gehry became fully realized. Indeed, Frank Gehry has created the perfect venue for the finest musical artists to express their creativity with courage and conviction. As she writes in the liner notes of her latest album, “The word ‘courage’ has its root in the Latin word for heart, cor, and we see it over and over in many languages: le coeur, il cuore, o coração, el corazón. This is a song cycle that maps the journey of a courageous heart.”
Photo Courtesy of the LA Phil and Natalie Merchant
