Barbra S., Bette Fan
Photo: BaltoBoy Steve

So, I saw the KISS MY BRASS tour last night with Evelyn, Deja, Topaz and a few other friends last night. Miss Midler is so inspiring as performer. She embodies the kind of entertainer I have always wanted to be: talented, quick witted, diverse, multi layered, shocking, touching, and of course she looks fabulous!

She let George Bush have it last night. There were a few things she said that got a negative reaction from the audience here in traditionally conservative Arizona (and to be fair, the crowd was MUCH older than I have seen in her other shows. Usually she draws a VERY diverse audience..the gays, the Jews, the kids, the drag queens, the women...) . And from what I have read about other stuff she has said at other stops on the tour, I think she reigned it in a little.

This was the first concert at THE GLENDALE ARENA, which seats over 17,000. The crowd was almost capacity. She complained a few times that she wasn't hearing us too well. I am not sure if that was acoustics or if this older crowd was not really demonstrative.

She sang them all: Kiss my Brass, Big Noise from Winnetka, Stuff Like That There, Boogie Woogie, Skylark, Shiver Me Timbers, The Rose, Going to the Chapel (Which featured videos of famous couples.... like Angelina and Billy Bob, Pam and Tommy Lee, Liza and David, JLO and her waiter, JLO and Chris, JLO and Ben.. see a theme?) When A Man Loves a Woman, I Think It's Gonna Rain Today, C'mon A My House/Hey There, From A Distance/ Wind Beneath My Wings, a 20 minute Broadway Medley (All that Jazz, I Tell You I am not Going, Hello Dolly) as Dolores DeLago, A chilling song called September (which SILENCED the arena,) Friends, A duet with Mr. Rogers (which was very moving) and a video of her being sued on Judge Judy by the CBS EYE (Gary Coleman is the bailiff, naturally) for her truly awful sitcom among others. She did that hysterical "Soph" routine which was as awful as ever!

The whole show has a Boardwalk/beach/Coney Island theme..the sets, the lights, the costumes. She touched on the Superbowl..and Janet's "knocker with a door knocker on it," complained that Britney and Xtina never call to say thank you. (After all, Miss M opened the door for trashy singers with big tits,) the election, singing "From a Distance," during ANOTHER Bush war, farewell tours, and so much more.

Her voice is truly amazing. She can get throaty and guttural in one song, and then take on the timeless songs like "Skylark" or "Hey There" and sound like a songstress from 50 years ago. I have seen her in concert four times, now. While this was not my favorite show.. I will say this: If you have never seen her live, you should do what ever you have to do to experience one of the last true show people of her kind. She dances, she sings, she jokes, she pontificates.

Randy Cordova
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 12, 2004 09:15 PM

"I have returned," Bette Midler crowed at the start of her concert on Thursday night. "I'm fabulous, and don't I look it."

Yes, she did look mighty fabulous at the new Glendale Arena, a tiny blonde with a mass of Shirley Temple curls and a small waist. More importantly, the 58-year-old was fab – or divine, as her debut album accurately dubbed her 32 years ago.

No one else in music today -- sorry, Cher -- can come up with such an over-the-the-top spectacle that is alternately campy, kitschy, bawdy, sentimental and defiant. Sometimes, it was all of those elements at the same time.

Set on an enormous stage with a Coney Island theme, Midler's offbeat good humor was evident the instant she appeared, descending from a carousel horse suspended high above the stage. She opened with a giddy novelty tune, "Kiss My Brass," that showcased her powerful five-man horn section. Then she moved to such full-tilt jazz numbers as "Big Noise From Winnetka" and "Stuff Like That There," a track from her flop "For the Boys" film.

After that wham-bam opening, there was no stopping Midler, who simply flew through the evening blending her R-rated humor and amazingly diverse voice. The former got plenty of a workout as she pulled out gags aimed directly at the Valley market. "Apache Junction, show me your mullets," she commanded, to the delight of the crowd of more than 14,000.

Other bits included a riotous 25-minute segment tracing the Broadway bow of Delores Delago, Midler's wheelchair-bound mermaid who sang a showstopping "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going."

As for the voice, the singer seems to be one of those performers whose vocal ability gets deeper with age. When she sang "Skylark" accompanied only by a piano, the weathering in her voice added a melancholy edge to the tune that's not present on her recorded version from 1973. Equally moving was a wistful take on Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" and a sweet version of Tom Waits' "Shiver Me Timbers."

A tribute to Rosemary Clooney was a nice bit of nostalgia, with black-and-white images of the late singer backing Midler, who offered "Hey There" and "Come-on-a-my-House." Midler is truly gifted in that she's able to adapt her vocal style to almost any kind of music. She sang those chestnuts like a '50s chanteuse, then offered a down-and-dirty, full-throated take on "When a Man Loves a Woman." That earned an early standing ovation from the crowd.

If it sounds a bit schizophrenic musically, it wasn't. Midler's warm personality ties everything together wonderfully well. She seems to be loving every minute on stage, with her trio of backing singers (still dubbed the Harlettes), outrageous costumes and intricate choreography.

It's a great big show, which isn't that uncommon these days. But it is has a great big heart to it, and that is rare.