Regina Spektor, Birmingham Symphony Hall - review
A spotlight shines down on the red haired Regina Spektor and her impressive grand piano, she caresses the keys with her fingertips and the opening chord is played - the audience is instantly gripped.
"It's so pretty here," says the Russian New Yorker pianists as she takes in the Birmingham Symphony Hall.
It is a superb venue for a Regina Spektor concert and story telling.
I say story telling because an awful lot of of Spektor's songs are based around a set of fictional characters - and her concerts are her on stage theatrically acting out their stories armed with just a piano and a small band including a drummer, cellist and keyboardist.
You are taken on a journey with these characters, and while you are watching the show in front of you, your mind wonders off into imagination, almost like you are listening to an audio book.
Recently I stumbled across another review from a previous Regina Spektor show which pointed how no one was filming the show, and the same was true at Birmingham on Saturday night.
There was no obvious photography, no people watching songs through their phone screens, it was a whole audience gripped by each short story, waiting until the conclusion of the tales before giving a huge round of applause.
"Thank you so much," she would repeat, while bowing slightly.
Regina Spektor is one of the most pleasant people in music, and she almost looks embarrassed at how well her music is received by the crowd.
One of the highlights of the night was 'You've Got Time', the theme tune to Netflix' series Orange is the New Black. You could see genuine excitement when the prison cell intro kicks in.
It is a song that is popular amongst those who are not as familiar with her work, and of course gets one of the biggest applause of the night.
Other highlights included the very topical 'Ballad of a Politician', 'Us', 'Grand Hotel', 'Folding Chair' and 'Fidelity'.
While she did initially forget the words to 'Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)', after a bit of help from the audience she was able to restart the song and complete it impeccably.
The show drew to a close with a beautiful rendition of 'Samson', one of the most poignant songs in her catalogue.
"You are my sweetest downfall, I loved you first."
The final line is sung and the crowd rise to their feet. There is barely a dry eye in the house.
Regina Spektor takes a bow, thanks the audience once more and leaves the stage with a huge smile. Simply stunning.
