I was among the many disgruntled, disappointed Lauryn Hill fans who witnessed her disastrous concert at The Paramount in Oakland last night. The crowd was up and excited, and the opening act, Jupiter Rising, was game and enthusiastic. We particularly enjoyed the beat box stylings of the male leader, and the female vocalist did well. I remember thinking, she's good, but she's no Lauryn - yet. Little did I know...
At least I already knew based on Hill's history that this show was going to be a crap shoot. I surmised that she might be off the wall as she's been for years, or maybe, just maybe, since she was booked into such an illustrious and prime venue as The Paramount, she was tipping her toes into the waters of a full-fledged comeback. Hoping against hope, I fantasized that she would mix rousing new material with crowd pleasing renditions of the songs people still venerate her for.
I was half right. She did mix new material with old, both of which were only very occasionally recognizable. We waited two and a half hours for her to appear, staggering onto the stage in an outfit that looked like a Santeria/Pentecostal mash up, a big and untidy red afro, and a black kerchief to wipe off the buckets of sweat.
And then there was her most alluring accoutrement, her voice - except that her voice was barely even there. She shouted, she yelled, she chanted in an admittedly raspy shadow of the voice Lauryn Hill fans have cherished for a long long time now. At one point, she calmed down long enough to do a tender "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and she did a competent job with it, although half the time we were holding our breath praying she would hit the notes accurately. Her voice has changed. It's no longer the supple, mesmerizing instrument it once was. That's sad, but that's the nature of pop - ephemeral, fleeting. And we all age and our voices change.
Life changes us and it shows in our faces, our spirits and, yes, our voices. Lauryn Hill gave a coherent explanation of why she has changed and what she has been through and it was hands down the high point of her show. She had me with her all the way right then. She had me riveted with her honesty, and, in a way, her show was brutally honest about where she is at. She says she is sober, but then she falls flat on her back in the middle of a song. Sobriety does change you, and the transformation is often messy and unruly, and Lauryn Hill at The Paramount may well be cogent testimony to that very fact.
The crowd booed her and two-thirds of them exited the theatre in hordes before her show was half over. Much as I am in agreement with their dissatisfaction, I was put off by the loud boos nearly drowning out the ridiculously high volumed band. I guess there cannot be much confusion over how they felt, or whether Oakland will accept a show of this (lack of) caliber.
I still love Lauryn Hill and I still miss her. I saw her last night, and I'm still missing her today. I wish her nothing but good on her journey and I hope she makes it back to us. She is needed right here on earth, where her point of view is one which gets short shrift in the current cultural mix. We're still waiting on you, Lauryn!
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