Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1997)
FIONA APPLE - energetically romping through tunes such as “Criminal” - delighted a packed Mancuso Convention Hall in Omaha Saturday. Photos by Lane Hickenbottom Strong, biting performance rocks concert By Patrick Kelly Music Critic Bathed in soft, violet-blue light amid the stage's silhouetted props, the eloquent singer songwriter calmly entered the hall and sat at tite piano. She began her set not with a heavy num ber to work the crowd into a tumultuous frenzy, but w ith the soft and somewhat mournful “The Child is Gone." The choice of song proved to the audi ence and to the performer that the night belonged to Tiona Apple. “Depth is at the greatest of heights." said the introspective Apple at the beginning of her concert at a packed Mancuso Convention Hall in Omaha Saturday night. The little bit of un-sung poetry &et the mood for the lyrical journey that w as to follow. However, energetic guitar-based romps quick ly took Apple away from the piano and into the spotlight. The performance was dynamic, to say the least. Apple would calmly tickle the ivory with songs like “Shadowboxer" and “Slow Like I lonev" and then jump to center stage lot the more v ibrant and hair-whipping "Sleep to Dream." “Carrion” and the more recent hit, “Criminal." However, Apple was not limited to the songs off her debut album, “Tidal” She encored with the R&B classic "Use Me" and a soulful rendering of the Jimi 1 Iendrix ballad “Angel." Apple's manipulation of the music (and the audience in the process) made an impression on the audience members w ho w ere between the ages of 13 to 50. Her onstage demeanor was quite similar to that of her music, unpredictable. She w as brash and gutsy, yet at the same time she seemed shy and ner vous. She used raw sexuality (seductively dancing tor the audience and ev entually taking off her midriff shirt leav ing only a thin white halter top and black slacks), but still conveyed a sense of modesty. This seemed to carry' over into her vocal style: calm and delicate one minute and raw and powerful the next. In all. her music stemmed from a unique and Please see FIONA on 14
