May 11, 2007 @ 1:54 pm

vLive: Amy Winehouse

by: Amy Linden

UK singer live in NYC: For some, the persona usurps the pipes.

Highline Ballroom, NYC, May 9, 2007
Since arriving on American shores earlier this year, Amy Winehouse has laid claim as one of R&B's more idiosyncratic and purely gifted vocalists - and that "bad girl with jazzy pipes and a broken heart" persona was center stage at the second of two sold-out shows in New York. Backed by Brooklyn's rock steady Dap Kings and two engaging, energetic male singers, Amy worked her way through an hourlong set featuring most of her gold sophomore CD, Back to Black. Unlike the current crop of "artists," Amy is more at home being a singer than a star. As a result the musicianship is the focal point. Rocking her trademark bouffant weave and tarty cocktail frocks (both of which she nervously tugged like an uncontrollable tic), the pint-sized powerhouse gave her tangy, unfettered phrasing plenty of breathing room. Yet about 15 minutes in, as she was immersed in the river-deep, mountain-high dramatics of the album's soaring title track, it was obvious Amy was off her game. Tabloid junkies know that the 23-year-old Cockney lass has garnered much ink for a laundry list of alleged issues, including drinking, and it's no secret that Amy enjoys a cocktail, or three, while performing. This time, she ambled out clearly intoxicated, frequently pausing mid-song to gulp, with single-minded focus, what looked like beer. Paradoxically, the drunker she got, the more assured her vocals became, and despite her detached demeanor (not particular to this gig) and a sense that she was lost in thought, Amy nailed her retro soul songs (ala a charged "Me and Mr. Jones") like a seasoned pro. Unfortunately her talent seemed lost on a good portion of the crowd, who were more interested in her drinking than singing. The more she engaged in the former, and mused about her anxiety in a stutter, the more the audience's behavior seemed more appropriate to a chug-a-lug contest. During the darkly witty "Rehab," she was greeted by cheers. As the closer, "You Know I'm No Good," wound down, Amy abruptly bolted - reinforcing the impression that she's less a tough chick, than an achingly vulnerable one.

Article tags: VLive, Amy, Winehouse 

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