Concert Review: Amy Winehouse Live at The Roxy March 19, 2007

Rough-around-the-edges Soul singer Amy Winehouse doesn't really seem like the Hollywood type, but there she was on March 19, performing at The Roxy, on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. But thankfully, the glamor and glitz of nearby Beverly Hills didn't rub off on the heavily tattooed Winehouse, who's known for her frank, in-your-face songs and attitude. During her 50-minute performance (including encore), Winehouse proved that the vocal soul power displayed on her current album, Back to Black, isn't achieved through studio wizardry; yes, her voice and singing really are that good.

Despite receiving accolades from music critics all over the country, Amy Winehouse still isn't exactly a household name in the United States, and this is one of her first tours of the country. So that perhaps explains why she seemed a little overwhelmed during her performance Monday night at The Roxy in Hollywood.

Although there could be a number of reasons she seemed a little restrained, or reserved, during the March 19 show. First, there was the recent break-up of her relationship with her boyfriend; then there was also the small stage that she, her seven-piece band and two backup singer-dancers were confined to. There was also the matter of her ample bosom almost falling - several times - out of the elegant teal dress she was wearing.

But another possible reason for the lack of a significant stage presence of the bad girl singer on this particular night is that she was a little tired. Or under the influence. But whatever the cause of her slightly discombobulated appearance was, she wasn't so faded that she couldn't sing. She sang, all right. And she sang well.

In a small irony, the first song she performed during the show turned out to be a track her label left off of the U.S. release of her current album, Back to Black. The song, "Addicted," is a whimsical tale of Amy's love of marijuana and her insistence that her friend's boyfriend can't come calling unless he's holding.
"I'll check him at the door, make sure he got green, I'm tighter than airport security teams," she sang. " Mmm, it's got me addicted, does more than any d_ck did."

(Review continues below ...)

Nearly all the songs she performed were from Back to Black, the only one of her two albums that have been released Stateside. Among the highlights were her rendition of the album's first single, the defiant "Rehab" (stream the song HERE) and the ska-tinged "Just Friends."

Throughout most of her show, Winehouse barely interacted with the audience; there wasn't a whole lot of witty repartee and she didn't dance around, she pretty much stood in place and sang. And between songs, she'd have a few laughs with her backup dancers, have a sip of bottled water, or simply look at the stage floor.

But what she lack in stage presence, her two male singer-dancers made up for and them some. The duo, dressed in full suits, were in perpetual motion throughout the performance. They shimmied and shook in synchronized harmony, seemingly having more fun than anyone else in the building. This was no easy task considering they has precious little on-stage real estate to perform on. But despite the lack of room, they were drenched in sweat less than halfway into the show.

The jam-packed Roxy show may have been the last time fans in Southern California will get to see Winehouse in the near future, because she cancelled a performance that had been scheduled for the next night at L.A.'s Spaceland club. If so, the Roxy show stands as a testimony to her considerable vocal talent. Although lacking a commanding stage presence, her voice alone was more than enough to carry her through and make the concert one that most who were fortunate enough to be in attendance aren't likely to forget.