Brave Enough: Live at the Variety (Explicit Lyrics) - Powerful Rock Concert for Music Lovers & Live Performance Enthusiasts

You might say that Sara Bareilles had me at "Love Song" her catchy and first No. 1 hit. But my admiration for her work grew with each release, from "Little Voice" to "Kaleidoscope Heart" to her latest release "The Blessed Unrest". She reeled me in for the kill with her latest single "Brave", a song she says she wrote in part to support a friend of hers who recently came out as a lesbian. As a gay man, I found her especially brave to stand up for the gay community."Love Song" and "Brave" are both included here, as glorious stripped down versions, packed full of energy and love for the Atlanta audience who has come to see her. The bond between singer and audience at the Variety Playhouse is palpable. The audience even gets a lovely song Bareilles has written just for them and never recorded on any other record, the heartfelt "I Just Want You".Bareilles has a stage presence like no other, though you must watch the DVD to fully appreciate it, as the CD is edited and a lot of her funniest on stage banter is dropped. Beginning with "Love On The Rocks" with a nod to Elton John's Bennie and the Jets at the tail end, things get off to a powerful start, followed by a beautiful, unplugged version of "Uncharted" and the slow, piano driven "Manhattan", which sends chills up the spine. Bareilles accompanies herself on acoustic and electric guitars, turning in stellar versions of "Let the Rain" and "Come Round Soon". This live recording, which showcases her electric guitar skills, is hands down the best version of "Come Round Soon" I have ever heard. Because she is in Atlanta, she delivers a soulful version of Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay" with its lyric, "left my home in Georgia, headed for the Frisco Bay." The cheeky "King of Anything" is here as well, another of my favorites, which turns into a powerful anthemic singalong.Another highlight is the mostly acapella "Once Upon Another Time", which Sara performs with an upright accordion-like instrument which she said she bought just for performing this particular song, from her EP of the same name.The concert ends with a tour de force performance of Bareilles' beautifiully crafted song "Gravity" and a reverential, rousing rendition of the Elton John classic "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". A triumph for both Sara Bareilles' diehard fans, of which I count myself, and a fine starting point for those who are not familiar with her work. Brave enough indeed.