Olivia makes a good impression - Physical 1982 tour at Pittsburgh Civic Arena
Since first impressions are the most lasting, Olivia Newton-John made sure she made a humdinger of one on Pittsburgh at the Civic Arena last night.
It was important that she did for three reasons 1) many of her songs are very familiar (and many of them aren’t all that good as songs go) and need something to make them come alive in concert, 2) she’d never performed here before; 3) by her own admission, she might never play here or anywhere else, for that matter again, once her current tour ends.
And she tackled her task three ways with a big show, with her own personality and with the music itself.
Let’s take them in reverse order. Miss Newton-John’s rock isn’t really rock and her country isn’t really country. She’s as middle-of-the-road as a medial strip, with a little something for almost everyone.
So that’s what she sang in her 90-minute set, every song associated with her except “Summer Nights,” skimping only on “If You Love Me.”
Yes, she did a few lesser-known songs, too but she didn’t introduce any of them, and that was a mistake, particularly where her new single was concerned. You want people to remember it, ask radio stations to play it and especially to buy it (in case you’re interested, it’s called “Heart Attack”).
Tom Scott provided fine arrangements for her band and backup singers, the volume was more than comfy and the sound mix was excellent. That was vital because Miss Newton-John, although her tone is sweet and her pitch true, has a soft, breathy, far from powerful voice which loses the lowest notes. In truth, she’s no match for Stephanie Spruill, one of her backup singers.
As far as personality, shorter hair and a song about bodies talking do not a hoyden make. Miss Newton-John, whether prancing in a silver-spangled black mini-dress or exercising in white shorty shorts and a Steeler T-shirt, still came across as the girl next door, Tinker-bell without wings.
So, a nice young woman sang all the songs you came to hear. How did she make the whole shebang more than just a routine recital With some flashy staging.
Take, for instance, the opening. As the bandsmen played an overture of sorts, scenes from her career were flashed on a screen on a riser behind and above them, the screen parted slightly and there was Livvy ready to start singing.
Or take the transition between “Xanadu” and “Magic” Miss Newton-John skipped up steps to the riser One flash pot One “Poof!” no Miss Newton-John.
Up swirled the dry ice fog, on came lights behind the screen, a rotating mirror ball sent blue dots around the hall and onto the screen and there she was singing at stage left in a red mini-dress (she changed costumes twice more).
Despite the boffo opening, her first segment of songs was a little slow. The biggest cheers during the biographical sides were for the “Grease,” “Xanadu” and “Physical” portions; those are what brought her to most people’s attention.
And the first segment was her old, semi-country songs, perked up only by Bob Dylan’s “If Not for You,” the best-written one of the bunch, and “Jolene,” with more of a rock beat.
“Magic” was a winner thanks to the staging, as was “A Little More Love” because it’s a better song than most she records.
The final six songs, however. made a strong finale: the sort of rock-‘n-funky “Heart Attack” (poor words, though, especially the chorus), the slower, slinkier “Make a Move on Me” and “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and “You’re the One That I Want” from “Grease.”
“Physical” rocked out more and would have been a winner without the Steeler shirt, but Miss Newton-John spoiled the effect by tackily “tuning up” and “rehearsing” the fans for a sing-along.
To end the evening, a beautiful arrangement of a beautiful song. “I Honestly Love You” a beautiful way to close. The open roof and fireworks promised if the weather cooperated, which it did, were al-most anti-climactic.
By Pete Bishop