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Arts & Entertainment

Suzanne Vega Plays Well at Metuchen's Forum Theatre

Contemporary folk song artist Suzanne Vega's voice engaged her audience in an intimate setting.

Looking and sounding younger than her actual years, the energetic Suzanne Vega performed for a near-capacity crowd at the Metuchen Forum Theatre.  Dressed simply in black jean-like pants, boyfriend jacket, and tee shirt, the contemporary folk singer accompanied herself on electrified acoustic guitar as she sang music from her “Close-Up” series. 

A good part of the program concentrated on the first volume of “Close-Up” which she called “Love Songs”. She jokingly remarked in her easygoing and likable manner that although some of the songs don’t appear to be love songs, “she considers them to be love songs”. 

 I was particularly attracted to the song entitled “Caramel”.  She sang the song in her usual smooth style, but there was a sultriness about it that gave it a French cabaret sound.  This was a bit different than her usual neo-folk style, as were the two rock sounding numbers that followed.

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The song that really was kind of an anomaly was entitled “Tombstone”.  She claimed this song was the way she would like to remembered after she dies, but it was anything but somber.  The words were rather serious, but the music was not.  This number had her back-up man on electric guitar playing a pretty intricate loud rock accompaniment.  

Vega then introduced him as Jerry Leonard, even though he had played throughout the program.  A very good player who occasionally sang a few back-up lines, Mr. Leonard was truly there just as her back-up player. Ms. Vega did all the announcing, accompanied herself most of the time, and did all the singing. His clothing, which was composed of very tight jeans and a tee shirt, was definitely laid back, and this, along with the plain curtain backdrop, monotone lighting, and equipment strewn stage, made for a rather bland setting.

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Metuchen resident Mickey Waring probably said it best: “Her transparent, crystal-like voice along with her words and music created a passionate outlook on life, and distracted me from the somewhat drab surroundings”.

The gracious and unassuming Ms. Vega ended the program with two encores from her one-woman show about writer Carson McCullers (opening off-Broadway in April) and an audience request. Interesting lyrics, wonderful singing, and the same simple effortless style she portrayed throughout the performance continued even in her encores. She is definitely a singer worth seeing and listening to over and over again.

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