James Blunt charms and moves Tel Aviv crowd
Armed with self-deprecating humor, charisma, and impressive vocals, British singer-songwriter wins over skeptics and proves that Israelis can enjoy a quality pop concert.
But minutes into Blunt's performance, it became clear that the musician considered one of British pop's more introverted is capable of much more than sensitive balladry. His theatrical flourishes had the crowd roaring.
It was clear throughout the concert - whose setlist included the singles "High", "You're Beautiful", "Wisemen," "Goodbye My Lover", "Postcards", "Bonfire Heart", "Heart to Heart", and "1973" – that the performer enjoyed every moment.
The singer-songwriter peppered his set with a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor. He said he preferred the ukulele. "I like this guitar," he said. "I even take it to the bedroom, because it makes me look big. I don't know if you can tell from where you are, but I'm a rather small person.
"I hate tall people. Especially because my band is composed of some tall musicians. I don't even know their damn names, because I resent them for it. Look at this tall guy! He doesn't even know he gets paid less because of his height," he joked. When the crowd cheered, he threatened: "If you applaud him again, you're fired."
Blunt continued the banter later in the set. "I know what you're thinking. 'I paid money to hear miserable songs', and now you're thinking, 'what are all these happy songs?'" he said.
"But it's all right; I have lots of miserable songs. If you're a boyfriend or husband who was dragged here by your girl – don't worry, I'm going to play hundreds of miserable songs."
James Blunt arrived in Israel as a successful singer-songwriter – not that kind we are used to seeing here. His stop in Tel Aviv, besides being a positive sign that Israel is more than a rest stop for obscure artists or aging stars of decades past, also proved that Israel has an audience for successful pop-rock singers, other than the massive superstars and the nearly unknown.
In a place that likes its concerts to be on the fringes, or alternatively on the largest of stages, it's nice to see that Israel also gets good concerts by relevant pop artists, who simply give a good show and send the crowd home happy and satisfied. James Blunt succeeded in this, and made Israel momentarily seem like a normal place that doesn't take itself or its concerts too seriously. And that's a big accomplishment – even if the man on the stage says he's rather small.
