Kitchie Nadal at Metro
(April 12, 2005) Only 6 days after my fateful meeting with Kitchie at Saguijo, I got this text from Lee inviting me to see Kitchie's gig at Metro along West Avenue - compliments of Roca, her manager. How could I say no to a free Kitchie performance? So there I was at Metro just in time for her second song. Roca was busy but I managed to say 'thanks' before going back to my balcony seat.
How was it?
Kitchie was of course lovely as ever...maybe cute is a better word. Her talent was unmistakable - a deaf, dumb and blind guy couldn't miss it. The singing style that got me hooked in the first place was there. The acoustics were a definite improvement from her UP gigs. Perfect concert? Well, not quite.
Not Quite?
First thing that got my attention was the crowd. Metro isn't exactly the place where you find a Kitchie fan or at least, people who appreciate that kind of vibe and music. Metro is more for middle-aged bureaucrats who'd rather see Sinatra. Putting it plainly, wrong crowd. In fairness, I don't think choosing a crowd is an option for a musician. Thus, except for curious cell-digicam owners curious enough to front the stage to get a close up shot, and of course, a handful of fans who went out of their ways to be there (like me), the crowd was largely unresponsive. Kitchie on the other hand had fatigue written all over her. Burn out? Her effort to work on the crowd was borderline mechanical. She didn't exactly connect with the general audience. That, or she just considers herself as singer and not a performer - big difference.
Take Arsenio Hall for instance when he was still hosting the Arsenio Hall Show. When the curtain is raised, he goes into an almost 3-minute energy-packed outburst working on the crowd. They cheer and they get pumped. By the time he utters his first word, the crowd is his...hook-line-and-sinker.
Ending Thoughts
Not until I started getting into the anatomy of Kitchie's gigs that I begin to appreciate the complexity of producing a seemless gig. Talent alone is not enough - it's a given. There's the acoustics, the sound level, the crowd, the performer's energy level, etc. There are just too many variables. A perfect gig doesn't just happen. There has to be an unseen hand making sure all these variables produce that magical synergy that keeps the audience talking about it long after they've gone home.
As for Kitchie, I think she needs a long break. Seriously. I'm still a fan and I would hate for her to burn out before I see how good she gets. I'd like to come out of her concert, all smiles, saying to myself, "It doesn't get any better than this."
--- TheLoneRider
April 12, 2005
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