AXIS|OF|LIVE

I was a reluctant KT Tunstall fan. Too folky, too hippie. I'm not a singer-songwriter type of person, aside from older Tori Amos and Bjork, if she even counts. But there's something about KT's songs, bordering on folk, rock, and pop in a mix that's highly accessible-- probably the reason you hear them everywhere from prime time television to big blockbusters like The Devil Wears Prada. And she's such a pleasure when she performs, cheerful and excited at all times. I almost forgot I was in the midst of a-- *gasp*-- adult contemporary audience. The horror!

Just kidding, the crowd was great. Mostly. While many people were a lot older than me and seemed thrilled that their concert would be over by 10:30 so they could head on home, they were very into KT and her music. Her singles "Suddenly I See" and "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" got the best reception, with everyone dancing and swinging their arms, clapping along with KT's very sweet and talented band. My favourite number of the evening, a gorgeous, somber, and sweeping rendition of "Heal Over," was slightly soured by the loud group of friends behind me who couldn't keep quiet, and the girl who suddenly appeared beside me to howl "wooooo!" for a solid six seconds or so. The song was still great, introduced by a haunting cello solo and slowly escalating into a version incredibly different from the studio version and darkly beautiful, even as KT was showered with layers of light.

KT kept the evening afloat with friendly banter between songs, whether she was introducing the next number ("If you're here on a date, you might want to slip them the tongue during this song"), giving friendly advice ("If you're in a long distance relationship, call them up right now and break up with them!"), or singing her own praises ("This song got me to the top of the UK line dancing chart!"). A stagehand seemed to bring her a new guitar after every song, and she sparkled in a casual but flashy outfit consisting of a black tank top, denim short-shorts, and metallic silver leggings, which matched one of her sparkly guitars. She performed every song from her debut album, Eye to the Telescope, and gifted us with "Ashes" and "One Day," songs from the upcoming Acoustic Extravaganza, which apparently was recorded with her band in a single day. "Ashes" has some particularly fun lyrics, from the opening observation of "I am a pain in your ass" to the line her band members seemed particularly jazzed to join in singing: "You say, 'Fuck you, little princess, who the hell d'you think you are?'"

Everyone seemed quite impressed with KT's musical skill and range. We watched her hop from her stance at front and center to the drums for "Suddenly I See," and then to the piano for "Through the Dark." The crowd also buzzed every time she performed her signature trick of providing her own soundtrack, banging on her guitar and singing her own harmonies, recording each sound and vocal on the spot and then replaying them in the background. Who needs back-up singers, right? But the evening was hardly serious business. She invited opening act Kevin Devine and his pals out onto the stage for a huge jam session and singalong during her cover of The Flaming Lips' "She Don't Use Jelly," which transported me right back to junior high. Her final number was a cover of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back," which everyone there was old enough to appreciate.

My one major complaint was the sheer amount of smoke they had circulating in the venue, which made the air very dry and hot. It also prohibited me from taking any photos of KT that weren't either extremely blurry or completely clouded by the thick fog generated by the smoke machines. But I did make sure to write down the setlist, so here it is, in order:

Another Place to Fall / Other Side of the World / Miniature Disasters / Under the Weather / Universe & U / Black Horse and the Cherry Tree / Ashes / Silent Sea / One Day / False Alarm / Heal Over / Stoppin' the Love / Suddenly I See // She Don't Use Jelly / Through the Dark / I Want You Back

A very gracious host, KT proclaimed that it was always "a pleasure" to come back to New York, and that when playing here, a musician could tell she had officially "made it." I wonder if she knew that the marquee read "KT Tungstall" earlier in the day. Either way, they'd changed it by the evening, so keep it under your hats. The warm reception she received is a much better indicator, as far as I'm concerned.