Artist: Concert ReviewTitle: Esthero @ Hiro Ballroom (Concert)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Kathy Iandoli
Esthero possesses this unspoken magic that radiates from her groundbreaking albums to her live sets. The buzz from her previous tour resonated with pleas for an unplugged go ’round. Armed with two acoustic guitars, one mic, a Pekingese (Oboe), and umpteen Jaeger bombs, Esthero justified our obsession with her for the past seven years.
The fairie-child floated to the stage clad as a sultry candy striper with hints of her signature color pink. Esthero greeted her disciples with her sexually electrifying “If Tha Mood.” From there it was anything goes. Of course the crowd hooted the very favorites that sparked the initial love affair, such as “Superheroes,” “Country Livin,” “That Girl,” and “Breath From Another.” The absence of backbeats made for a deeper appreciation of Esthero’s flawless vocals. Interjecting with humorous anecdotes of Mike Patton c###-blocking and the late Left Eye’s undercover Krispee Kreme addiction, Esthero created an enveloping intimacy that left everyone inspired and in love.
An impromptu performance by Shae Fiol (google her) was a warmly welcomed segway for part deux. Blessing the crowd with newer songs like “Gone” and “Fastlane,” Esthero continued with the unreleased “Amelia” and Concrete Blonde’s “Joey.” Her two guitarists, brother J. Englishman and Ricky Tillo recreated the instrumentals with perfection reminiscent of Santana’s young adulthood.
Closing with “We R In Need of a Musical ReVoLuTIoN,” fists in the air weren’t lowered until the last note was sung. As NYC’s Hiro Ballroom not-so-graciously ushered Esthero off the stage, she proverbially flipped the bird and invited every homosexual and proud v##### owner onstage for a closing cover of Olivia Newton-John’s “Got to Believe We Are Magic.” Even intoxicated, Esthero didn’t depart until every fan
befriended her.
After two and a half hours of emotional rebellion, anyone who arrived with an opposing favorite artist left completely smitten over Esthero.