Former Gossip lead singer, Beth Ditto headlined The Regency Ballroom, one of the shows of her West Coast stretch on her North America/Canadian Fake Sugar Tour. The now strawberry blonde soloist adorned the staged in a gold sequined dress just past 9:15 on Sunday night to a small crowd beaming to see her.
She graciously smiled and waved as fans welcomed her to the stage, choking on spit as she thanked everyone for staying through the openers " I always get so nervous playing after them" she said. She went on to say that she and the lead singer of Ssion share the same birthday, "lucky him" she said as the band cued up "Oh My God". The 37 year old's voice is as grandiose as her personality, powerful and strong like that of an opera singer. Effortlessly hitting notes and carrying them as she sauntered across the stage, flashes of light bouncing off of her as she went. She permeated a certain sense of Southern comfort from the twang in her voice, to the passion behind her delivery to her flirty conversing between songs.
Before the second song of the night, "In and Out" Beth gave a shout out to a guy in the audience wearing a shirt that said "Beth not Meth" then told fans that if she were a drag queen her name would be Bethanphedamean. The fourth song of the night, "I Wrote the Book," drew boisterous cheers and at the end of it, the leading lady introduced her band. Everything she said that night left people laughing, smiling, cheering, applauding or all four. Self described as a "fat feminist lesbian from Arkansas", I see her as being is a proud, outspoken individual.
She's funny and witty. She's a fashionista. She's brave, leaving Gossip after 15 years to do her own thing. And there she was doing it. The Arkansas born, Portland transplant fits in so well with the diverse culture that is San Francisco that I was surprised the show didn't sell better. A fact that Ditto herself did not shy away from but rather, she embraced it.
Regardless if the music is fueled by the eighties era like, "Open Heart Surgery" or possess an indie-pop drive as heard on "We Could Run", her vocals explode with soul. She positively belts every lyric to every song she sings but belting doesn't do it justice. Beth's singing style has an edgy elegance. She is our modern day Etta James. Her voice accompanies the whole range of eclectic synth-pop her solo work encompasses. She has an electric energy that oozes from the stage and buzzes around the room, filling it with a sensation to dance.
It was really humbling of her to include a handful of Gossip songs in the set. After all, that's how we got to know her and Gossip was a part of her life and career for so long how could she not? Not all artists would though and that speaks volumes about Miss Beth Ditto.
She is a force to be reckoned with and she knows it and she wants everyone to know it, too. All you have to do is watch and listen and you will learn.
 |
| Beth Ditto @ The Regency Ballroom 3/25/2018 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
Before the second song of the night, "In and Out" Beth gave a shout out to a guy in the audience wearing a shirt that said "Beth not Meth" then told fans that if she were a drag queen her name would be Bethanphedamean. The fourth song of the night, "I Wrote the Book," drew boisterous cheers and at the end of it, the leading lady introduced her band. Everything she said that night left people laughing, smiling, cheering, applauding or all four. Self described as a "fat feminist lesbian from Arkansas", I see her as being is a proud, outspoken individual.
She's funny and witty. She's a fashionista. She's brave, leaving Gossip after 15 years to do her own thing. And there she was doing it. The Arkansas born, Portland transplant fits in so well with the diverse culture that is San Francisco that I was surprised the show didn't sell better. A fact that Ditto herself did not shy away from but rather, she embraced it.
 |
| Beth Ditto @ The Regency Ballroom 3/25/2018 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
 |
| Beth Ditto @ The Regency Ballroom 3/25/2018 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
Regardless if the music is fueled by the eighties era like, "Open Heart Surgery" or possess an indie-pop drive as heard on "We Could Run", her vocals explode with soul. She positively belts every lyric to every song she sings but belting doesn't do it justice. Beth's singing style has an edgy elegance. She is our modern day Etta James. Her voice accompanies the whole range of eclectic synth-pop her solo work encompasses. She has an electric energy that oozes from the stage and buzzes around the room, filling it with a sensation to dance.
It was really humbling of her to include a handful of Gossip songs in the set. After all, that's how we got to know her and Gossip was a part of her life and career for so long how could she not? Not all artists would though and that speaks volumes about Miss Beth Ditto.
She is a force to be reckoned with and she knows it and she wants everyone to know it, too. All you have to do is watch and listen and you will learn.
 |
| Beth Ditto @ The Regency Ballroom 3/25/2018 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
Beth Ditto set-list 3/25/2018
1. Oh My God
2. In And Out
3. Fake Sugar
4. I Wrote The Book
5. Yr Mangled Heart
6. Oo La La
7. Love Long Distance
8. Open Heart Surgery
9. We Could Run
10. Listen Up!
11. Coal to Diamonds
12. Standing in the Way of Control
encore
1. Clouds
2. Heavy Cross
3. Fire
4. Dream a Little Dream of Me
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