I haven’t seen the Odyssey yet. Is it good? If it’s anything like the plot I lived through in Bell Centre’s new security setup for media then it was a heartbreaking slog for 7 years until a triumphant final moment where the hero, in this case a sort of old white guy leaves his kid and wife at home to traverse the hinterlands and garage at 1225 whatever street that was where he was met by a cyclops of a lady who Odysseus didn’t dare ask a name of because she was a special type of cranky that couldn’t even be calmed by the soothing voice of my unflappably professional, raise deserving security attaché Yasmine. (Hey it worked out fine, ok?)
Is the Odyssey like that? Because once I was finally inside ready to see my wife instead I had to look away from the beautiful sirens (opening act Baby Rose) to find my seat in the dark and sit just as they disappeared behind the curtain and intermission started.
Is that how the Odyssey goes? Is it like a run on sentence of a story? Sorry about that, I do that in every article but this one was super long. I mean I’ll edit it, but, it’s probably going to stay the same so you can reflect on your own fortitude and be proud of yourself for reading that much.
Well I missed all of Baby Rose so I can’t tell you anything about that but I’m very happy for a chance to settle.
The stage is a beautiful enormous billowy curtain that acts like a portal to a softer time. Everything is pinks and whites and it could easily be a swanky soap opera set from the seventies.
Her band and backup sings all get moments to shine throughout the show. It’s part choreo part improv and all fun. It’s sexy and playful and fun but mostly competent. You get the feeling all the pieces were chosen with musicianship and personality first. Everyone looks glamorous though, no mistaking these are young accomplished professionals at the top of their game and enjoying their time in the spotlight.
The show opens with “Nice to Each Other” and the party atmosphere is set and never lets up. The good vibes are immediate and we’re all up out of our seats. Most of us stay up for most songs in the show, some stay standing and dancing for all of it, I don’t see anyone who looks unmoved enough to sit the whole show, that’s very rare.
When I first saw Olivia Dean I would be reminded of Sade and that it’s just a good feelings recipe. To think that a modern artist can remind you of that and give you new feelings and new textures is awesome but the truth is – as always – this individual didn’t get here thinking ‘I want to be whatever artist the fans think I’m like’. No they show you new influences or colours of themselves the more you look at them.
After tonight I think of her writing to be like Burt Bacharach songs sung by Dionne Warwick. I could think of her presence and style to be like Diana Ross or Tammi Terrell.
At points in between songs she seems off the cuff, no rehearsal, saying what comes to her in the moment. She’s breezy and in control. Like Sinatra if he was adorable and unproblematic. Like Jay-Z except classy every moment. Like Tom Jones in the joy exploding from her body when she performs.
Effortless and joyful, with punctuations of elegant strength and tasteful vocal power. Olivia Dean is a flawed multifaceted diamond.
I will conclude with another subject I noticed that seems to be so personal to Olivia that her take has no analogy to my brain. The theme is Love (that has been done to death) but it’s in many facets; romantic (which is an unrecognizably beaten horse right?) but also the lesser touched on familial, friendship bonds, and love to strangers forms.
That breadth of topic kept the show really interesting, with no big lagging spots, even with only a handful of releases to have a show that length feels so mature and self assured is crazy. And it’s because she loves what she’s doing.
One song I wasn’t familiar with was Carmen, and it hits on love for neighbor and family bonds as well. Let me be honest I haven’t felt the visceral hair standing up on the arms from a song so strong in so long. Every time she sings “I’ll throw it for you” and “let them adore you” it would hit me like lightning. I scoured YouTube looking for a live recording that could relive that experience and none of the versions came close to the full abandon of the moment.
My theory is that Olivia Dean is, as a fellow reviewer commented, “Celine Dion in ‘94.” That’s high praise, and evidence to me that this tour is her hitting a stride in her life where the shows are full of joy for her as well as the audience.
If you have a chance to catch Olivia Dean on this tour you must take it. If you see her in a few years after a few more number 1 hits you might not get to understand how special the early years were.
Was the Odyssey like that? Still hoping for an IMAX showing.
Review – Mike Rogers
Photos – Lola Mansell
