Music / 25th Anniversary Tour, Macy Gray. At The Playhouse, July 11. Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

The Playhouse was packed to the proverbial rafters for Macy Gray’s return to Canberra as part of a nine-city national tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of her debut album On How Life Is. 

On How Life Is was Gray’s break-out album and has sold more than seven million copies worldwide. The single from the album, I Try, became an international success and won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2001.

It seemed most of those in the audience obviously had their own copy of On How Life Is, because, attracted by the promise that Gray would sing every song from the album, seemed to know every lyric of every song, whenever invited to sing along, which was often.  

Produced and directed by David M Hawkins, the concert had a rock-concert vibe with banks of roving spotlights projecting out into the auditorium, and a large video screen at the back of the stage constantly changing patterns. 

Gray made her entrance in a dazzling blue ensemble and, after briefly acknowledging the enthusiastic welcome from the audience, launched into a rocking R&B rendition of Why Didn’t You Call Me, backed by her red-hot band, which consisted of Justin Clemons on keyboards, Alex Kyhn on bass, Joshua Conerly on percussion and Steven Stewart on drums.  

Do Something, she sang, then Caligula, followed by Sex-o-matic, Murder, Still and Moment to Myself. They were all there, connected by exhortations from Gray encouraging her audience to clap along and let her hear them sing, reminding them, cheekily, that she had “come all the way from Los Angeles, USA, to sing to them”.  

Still, Moment to Myself, Can’t Wait to Meechu, When I See You and an arresting soul rendition of Sunny, followed. 

The generous program continued, interrupted only by a dazzling drum solo from Stewart, which provided an opportunity for a quick change into another striking gown by Gray before continuing with a succession of hits from her other albums that, over the years, have sold more than 25 million copies and earned Gray no fewer than five Grammy nominations.

Towards the end of the show Gray introduced a new song she’s still working on, an earwig audience-participation song entitled, Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, which she promised the Canberra audience it was the first to hear, before quipping “after every other audience on this tour”.

So hard to pick a favourite from this generous program. Definitely Creep, but then perhaps You Are Relating to a Psychopath, Sexual Revolution or I Try. Perhaps, for the moment, I’ll settle on the poignant song with which she finished her memorable show, The Letter.