Australian singer embraces innocent fun
With a stage covered in stuffed animals and glowing flowers, Sia’s concert on Feb. 24 at Fox Theatre had a tangible innocence that few artists embrace.
The female-dominated crowd packed the theater tight before the opening band proceeded onto the stage. An entire row even wore glow stick necklaces that meshed well with the already colorful ambiance.
Then, among the crowd of hip girls, a man weaved his way through. His bald spot was a blaring attention-getter that reflected his age and his seemingly wrong position among so many young female fans.
Then, as irony would have it, he helped himself on stage and began to sing the opening song.
“I am about to blow your mind,” said Sean Tillmann, the lead singer of Har Mar Superstar.
If Danny DeVito and Michael Jackson had the ability to conceive a love child, it would be this man. With his stomach hanging out from a cut off T-shirt, Tillmann flung himself into handstands while singing disco-tinged electric pop.
While yelling lewd commentary to the audience as he asserted his sexual prowess, Tillmann added comedy to his catchy tunes.
“I’m ready to make out. Have your I.D. ready. I’m not going to jail for this,” Tillmann said.
By the time he finished singing “I Got Next,” “Cut Me Up,” and “Girls Only,” Tillman had stripped down to a tight red Speedo. As sweat trickled down his exposed midriff, the crowd cheered and screamed as he vigorously shook everything in view.
After such an uproarious opening band, Sia Furler entered the stage with her own choice of eccentric performing. Glowing under a black light, Furler and her back up band appeared in neon suits with stick figures and happy faces painted on each player.
After shedding the suits, Furler thanked the audience over and over throughout the performance, giggling after every song while throwing herself into a fit of uninhibited dancing.
“Sometimes, being on stage can be a little tense,” Furler said. “I believe it is good to shake it out. I believe in the power of dance.”
The innocence and immaturity Furler showed in her actions was a stark contrast to the quality of her singing. With power and soul, her aching voice carried emotional depth in her down tempo style. In her song “Breathe Me,” each verse ended in a wrenching sigh that could only be uplifted by the lively flashing flowers on stage.
Furler was not afraid to give the audience exactly what they wanted. She allowed the audience to yell what song she should play next and she played a variety of old and new songs alike.
The band sang songs from their newest album, “Some People Have Real Problems,” which has a more upbeat feel when compared to Sia’s previous work. “Little Black Sandals” and “The Girl You Lost to Cocaine” added spunk to a lineup that was beautiful but hard to dance to outside of swaying.
As Furler sang “Playground” surrounded by Tickle Me Elmo and Care Bears, her lyrics spoke of the obvious draw of this performer.
“I don’t want to grow up,” Furler said.
Through the sugar-coated set of the evening, Sia proved the point that a quality performance does not need to include self-righteous bragging or serious rock ideals to be spectacular. Sometimes all it needs are rainbows, doodles and childlike sincerity.
Contact Campus Press Staff Reporter Carolyn Michaels at Carolyn.michaels@colorado.edu.
