By: Sarah Sawyer
 Michael Bublé - photo from his website |
Related Links: Official website: http://www.michaelbuble.com |
Michael Bublé sits on a stool, center stage, wearing a nice suit, jacket buttoned, one leg slung carelessly to the side as he opens his Saturday night concert at the Pantages Theatre with some artless and slightly embarrassing musings about how he and his band--whom he calls "the boys" though dollars to donuts there's not a band member who graduated high school less than 5 years ahead of him. Bublé is about three sentences in when a woman in the back of the theater yells, "Michael, I'm single!" to which the blushing Bublé replies sheepishly, "Me too". Ah, so that's how this is going to go.
Bublé's artless opening is long forgotten when he unveils his affinity for the age-old crowd-pleaser, the dirty joke. Bublé parodies an old Sinatra favorite singing "you make me feel so hung"; borrows sunglasses from the pianist, does a George Michael impersonation before imitating a state trouper saying "Yes, ma'am there is a way you can get out of this ticket….well, it's kind of like a breathalyzer." and even indulging in a bizarre moment of gangsta rap, with apologies to Snoop Dog. Voila, this goofball has the audience eating out of his hand when he changes tactics the way only a man in his mid-twenties can mercilessly teasing the audience saying "We're not going to do the next song." He pauses to smooth the crease in his pants leg before he continues "Well, I'm just trying to protect you….see….we make people horny for a living." True to his word he slides his hand gently up and down the mic stand lingering a moment here, a second there while feeling up a fantastic "Fever". Et voila, the audience is bewitched, bothered, bewildered and wishing the Pantages had a dance floor.
Bublé's appeal doesn't end with his Tiger Beat Pin Up charm. The kid's got impressive breath control for a crooner and a strong, supported legato line. His diction is impeccable- in fact, this may be the first time in history that the audience has been able to make out the line "Take a long, long, ride on my motorbike." His arrangements are classic. His vocal decorations are traditional. While the moments where he cuts loose vocally are few and far between, it's good to see someone with decent vocal training making the girls (and boys) consider throwing their panties onstage. Bublé does for jazz standards what the naked chef does for potatoes. Flirt 'em up and serve them up with a simple, saucy beauty.
His self-titled CD (143 records/ reprise) is a must have for anyone hoping to get laid this summer.
Location Info:
Pantages Theatre
Artist Info: Michael Buble
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