Caro Emerald
January 22, 2013
El Rey Theatre
Los Angeles, CA
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating: [The Breakdown]
Hailing from Amsterdam, Caro Emerald embarked on her first U.S. tour which included a stop at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. I discovered her music when her song, “A Night Like This” became a hit in Europe in 2010. Since then I have been a huge fan. So finally getting to hear her perform live was a real treat.
Caro’s genre of music isn’t exactly easy to pinpoint because of its grand mixture. You can call it jazz, ballroom, samba, lounge or even pop, but in reality it is Caro Emerald’s own special blend and it’s amazing. When she walked on stage she had her signature retro look to match her sound. She was all smiles and thrilled to be playing her first show in the U.S. You wouldn’t have been able to tell it was the first either with the packed crowd at the El Rey.
She had a band (big band style) and a DJ with her. She let each of them showcase their talents, but it was obvious to everyone in the audience that she was the star of the show. Caro started off with tracks, “You Don’t Love Me”, “Riviera Life” and “Back It Up”. A good portion of the crowd knew all the words and she even inspired a couple to start swing dancing on the floor in the middle of her set.
Her set list included: “You Don’t Love Me”, “Riviera Life”, “Back It Up”, “Lipstick”, “The Other Woman”, “Dr. Wanna Do”, “Bei Mir Bist Du”, “Just One Dance”, “I Know That He’s Mine”, “Absolutely Me”, “That Man”, “Stuck” and “A Night Like This (Remix)”.
But the one thing that mattered most was her unbelievably phenomenal vocals. She sounded elegant, smooth and soothing. She delivered and much more. Everyone in attendance had a blast and now that we all got to experience her live show we are all waiting for round two.