Alanis brings her rock to Houston

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by Anders Ryerson

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Performing with unbelievable emotion and excitement, Canadian pop-star phenom Alanis Morissette played before a packed crowd in the Summit Sunday night. The 22-year-old wowed the audience with a public display of unbridled anger and sarcasm that seemed to be a catalyst for an incredible energy throughout the arena.

Her songs described emotional sentiments involving love, hostility and frustration that spoke to many. Others just enjoyed the show. Morissette was loud and in-your-face, and the audience loved every minute of it.

A big question was how the live vocals would compare to the self-harmonies on the album. Following a fine performance by opening act K's Choice, Morissette dispelled any doubts about the vocals when, with intense fury and power, she belted out the opening song "All I Really Want." With 90 minutes of raw intensity, Morissette performed all 12 songs on her debut album Jagged Little Pill along with three new songs that she and writer Glen Ballard produced during her tour. The biggest response was for "You Oughta Know," the first single of the album which helped launch the Jagged Little Pill phenomenon. The album has now sold over 12 million copies, making it one of the best-selling albums ever.

After an initial 60-minute program, Morissette and the band returned for two encores. With just as much energy as she began the night, she performed "You Learn." At the end of the song, she danced wildly around the stage while the band jammed. She went absolutely crazy, finally ending with gigantic drum sticks in her hands, battling the drummer in an impromptu cymbal jam. She then jumped into the drummer's place and began a cover of Queen's "We Will Rock You," which the drummer sang. The final song of the evening was an a capella song, "Your House," which displayed Morissette's powerful voice.

Though nearly perfect, the evening had a few low points, especially regarding the mixing of voice and instruments. Unlike the album, the live guitars were sometimes excessively loud --- often drowning out the vocals. Former Red Hot Chili Pepper Jesse Tobias was on guitar and did not seem to realize that he was not the center of attention. Also, although the band played well together, the group seemed to have a difficult time pulling off some of the rhythms that gave the album its color. Although the stage show was rather plain, it was brought to life by Morissette's amazing exuberance and stage presence.

Overall, the show was tight and powerful. Unlike many touring artists, the show was stronger than the album. Morissette's singing was intense and full of passion, and her songwriting and musicianship were strong.

With the new songs she performed, Morissette proved that she is not just a one-hit wonder, making the release of her second album next year something to look forward to.

This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the October 4, 1996 issue.

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