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Mostly in their 30s, 40s and 50s, much of the audience entered the Moore with a hop in its step. Among the early entrants, several looked like they might have stories to tell, so pen and paper in hand I approached. Born in 1975, Vanessa was excited. Itıs her first Rickie Lee Jones performance. She was listening to Rickie Lee Jones by the time she was three years of age. She recalls staring at Rickieıs image on her motherıs albums and thinking 'sheıs so cool.' If a guy doesnıt like Rickie Lee Jones, she wonıt date him. Period. Jon grew up in a family of women, with Rickie Lee Jones recordings frequently in the background. 'Every time she opens her mouth, she kills me,' he revealed. Heıs listened to Rickie since 1979, has all her music, and enjoys especially her activist pieces. Alice, Lily, Nina, Angie and Sarah partied in and out of their seats throughout Rickieıs performance. All in their mid- to late-30s, theyıve followed Rickie since their teen years and described her music as the 'soundtrack of our youth.' Backed by a talented eight-piece band of big sound producing multi-instrumentalists, Rickie Lee Jones opened her performance in lament mode with Lap Dog, followed by a Tree in Allenford. Her band produces a complex and rich tapestry of sound and texture in support of Rickieıs unusual tuning and powerful voice. The set list focused on work from the recent Evening of My Best Day release, but included past favored tunes like Pirates and Weasel, as well. Rickie Lee Jones is a compelling live performer. Her passion, ability to evoke empathy in her audience, and her words combine to form a powerful tonic. In response, the crowd screamed back its support, including: "Rickie, you have so much love!" "It doesnıt get any better." "Brilliant." "Rickie, we love you!" During her generous set, Rickie Lee Jones sang songs of people and places good and not so good, and portrayed all with a striking intensity. Her voice can be child-like at one moment, sensual at another, then poignant, then world weary, then playful. Youngblood, for example, was a rocking tune that got hands clapping. While Ugly Man sent a serious message about a political leader who 'tells you lies.' In support of her music and concepts that underlie it, Rickie spent a few moments describing her Furniture For The People website and itıs charitable activities, and reminding the audience that 'leftist' is not a bad word. The Seattle audience responded warmly. Simple staging backed the performers. The auditoriumıs red curtains were wide open and barely visible at the edges of the stage. Black curtaining hid the wings and faded away to nothing. Blue, green and magenta lighting from high on the rear stage framed the backs of the performers, while magenta lights from stage front and yellow lights beaming in from the sides of the auditorium completing the framing. Band members dressed in a cacophony of visual styles, from a white shirt and tie with suspenders, to sports coat with open-collar shirt, to tee shirts and denims. Rickie Lee Jones is a fabulous performer with a tight band and passionate fans. When you get the chance, check out her scene.
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