Randy Newman Australia Tour Launch "Live Performance at Its Best, Spontaneous and Heartfelt" (The Australian)

Browse by:
Year
Browse by:
Publish date (field_publish_date)
Submitted by nonesuch on
Article Type
Publish date
Excerpt

Randy Newman kicked off his two-week tour of Australia Friday night in a one-night-only performance with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in Brisbane. "Everyone is swept along by Newman's charm," reports The Australian. "This was live performance at its best, spontaneous and heartfelt, with one of America's greatest songwriters at the helm." The Brisbane Times gives this "night of perfect tone" five stars. The Age says: "For more than 40 years, his hallowed name has comprised a two-word rebuttal to the clueless cliche that 'Americans don't get irony."

Copy

Randy Newman kicked off his two-week tour of Australia Friday night in a one-night-only performance with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at the QPAC Concert Hall in Brisbane. The show was part of this month's Queensland Music Festival and was the first stop on Newman's five-concert Australian tour of performances backed by a full orchestra.

While some such orchestral partnerships may not succeed, this one was "a really successful example," assures The Australian's Gillian Wills. "The arrangements for the songs in the playlist are well orchestrated with opportunities for all to shine."

As Wills explains, "Everyone is swept along by Newman's charm. It's as if you are in the company of a good friend who happens to be exceptionally talented and wants to run through some of his songs." She concludes: "This was live performance at its best, spontaneous and heartfelt, with one of America's greatest songwriters at the helm."

Read the complete concert review at theaustralian.com.au.

The Brisbane Times gives the concert five stars, calling it "a night of perfect tone." Reviewer Dan Nancarrow explains: "Forever cracking wise jokes, Newman’s dry wit made the Brisbane South Bank venue feel far more intimate than what you'd expect in a concert stage packed with a prestigious symphony orchestra." Read the review at brisbanetimes.com.au.

As concertgoer Ian Creamer commented in the Nonesuch Journal, Friday's tour-opening concert "lived up to expectations. I never doubted it would. What I didn't anticipate was that Newman would follow me home, be with me in the morning and still be playing in my head 24 hours later. So much more than a great composer and songwriter." Read more here.

Newman is also the subject of a feature article in The Age. In advance of this coming weekend's two concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Melbourne's State Theatre, the paper's Michael Dwyer talks with Newman and examines the appeal of his particular brand of songwriting.

"For more than 40 years, his hallowed name has comprised a two-word rebuttal to the clueless cliche that 'Americans don't get irony," writes Dwyer. "His style carries an affectionate continuity with the solid, irony-free traditions of American songcraft. As wry as he is lyrically, his piano-led chord cycles often fall faithfully behind Stephen Foster and Irving Berlin."

Read the article at theage.com.au.
 
Following the Melbourne concerts, Newman performs two shows with the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House. For more information, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour. To pick up a copy of Randy Newman's latest Nonesuch release, his Songbook Vol. 2, head to the Nonesuch Store, where orders include high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s of the album at checkout.

featuredimage
Randy Newman color sofa
  • Monday, July 25, 2011
    Randy Newman Australia Tour Launch "Live Performance at Its Best, Spontaneous and Heartfelt" (The Australian)
    Pamela Springsteen

    Randy Newman kicked off his two-week tour of Australia Friday night in a one-night-only performance with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at the QPAC Concert Hall in Brisbane. The show was part of this month's Queensland Music Festival and was the first stop on Newman's five-concert Australian tour of performances backed by a full orchestra.

    While some such orchestral partnerships may not succeed, this one was "a really successful example," assures The Australian's Gillian Wills. "The arrangements for the songs in the playlist are well orchestrated with opportunities for all to shine."

    As Wills explains, "Everyone is swept along by Newman's charm. It's as if you are in the company of a good friend who happens to be exceptionally talented and wants to run through some of his songs." She concludes: "This was live performance at its best, spontaneous and heartfelt, with one of America's greatest songwriters at the helm."

    Read the complete concert review at theaustralian.com.au.

    The Brisbane Times gives the concert five stars, calling it "a night of perfect tone." Reviewer Dan Nancarrow explains: "Forever cracking wise jokes, Newman’s dry wit made the Brisbane South Bank venue feel far more intimate than what you'd expect in a concert stage packed with a prestigious symphony orchestra." Read the review at brisbanetimes.com.au.

    As concertgoer Ian Creamer commented in the Nonesuch Journal, Friday's tour-opening concert "lived up to expectations. I never doubted it would. What I didn't anticipate was that Newman would follow me home, be with me in the morning and still be playing in my head 24 hours later. So much more than a great composer and songwriter." Read more here.

    Newman is also the subject of a feature article in The Age. In advance of this coming weekend's two concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Melbourne's State Theatre, the paper's Michael Dwyer talks with Newman and examines the appeal of his particular brand of songwriting.

    "For more than 40 years, his hallowed name has comprised a two-word rebuttal to the clueless cliche that 'Americans don't get irony," writes Dwyer. "His style carries an affectionate continuity with the solid, irony-free traditions of American songcraft. As wry as he is lyrically, his piano-led chord cycles often fall faithfully behind Stephen Foster and Irving Berlin."

    Read the article at theage.com.au.
     
    Following the Melbourne concerts, Newman performs two shows with the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House. For more information, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour. To pick up a copy of Randy Newman's latest Nonesuch release, his Songbook Vol. 2, head to the Nonesuch Store, where orders include high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s of the album at checkout.

    Journal Articles:On TourArtist NewsReviews

Enjoy This Post?

Get weekly updates right in your inbox.
terms

X By submitting my information, I agree to receive personalized updates and marketing messages about Nonesuch based on my information, interests, activities, website visits and device data and in accordance with the Privacy Policy. I understand that I can opt-out at any time by emailing privacypolicy@wmg.com.

Thank you!
x

Welcome to Nonesuch's mailing list!

Customize your notifications for tour dates near your hometown, birthday wishes, or special discounts in our online store!
terms

By submitting my information, I agree to receive personalized updates and marketing messages about Nonesuch based on my information, interests, activities, website visits and device data and in accordance with the Privacy Policy. I understand that I can opt-out at any time by emailing privacypolicy@wmg.com.

Related Posts

  • Friday, March 22, 2024
    Friday, March 22, 2024

    The Big Ears Festival is in Knoxville, TN, with performances by Sam Amidon, Laurie Anderson, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Rhiannon Giddens, Mary Halvorson, Robin Holcomb, Wayne Horvitz, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Kronos Quartet, Brad Mehldau, Ringdown, Davóne Tines, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, and Yasmin Williams; conversations with many of the above; and an exhibit of Nonesuch artist photos by Michael Wilson. Beyond Big Ears, John Adams conducts LA Phil in Timo Andres's new concerto and his own City Noir at Disney Hall, where SF Symphony performs his Naive and Sentimental Music. Richard Goode plays Beethoven in Michigan. Tigran Hamasyan tours California. Emmylou Harris is in Pennsylvania and Boston, where The Magnetic Fields start their 69 Love Songs anniversary tour. Mandy Patinkin is in Portland, OR. Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Mass for the Endangered is performed on Prince Edward Island.

    Journal Topics: On TourWeekend Events
  • Friday, March 15, 2024
    Friday, March 15, 2024

    Rhiannon Giddens plays a sold-out show at the Beacon Theatre in NYC, where Nathalie Joachim has sold out Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing. The Black Keys play a set at Stubb's in Austin for SXSW. Tigran Hamasyan and his trio are in Boston and Chicago. Hurray for the Riff Raff has a sold-out show in St. Paul. Brad Mehldau plays solo in Europe—in Geneva, Rome, and Verona. Mandy Patinkin is in San Antonio. Cécile McLorin Salvant performs Ogresse conducted by Darcy James Argue in Luxembourg and Brussels.

    Journal Topics: On TourWeekend Events