Sheryl Crow: Live at the Capitol Theatre

Reviewing Sheryl Crow: Miles from Memphis—Live at the Pantages Theater (VL-7/11), I wrote, "While she lacks charismatic stage presence, a distinctive voice, or great chops on guitar or keyboards, Sheryl Crow has nevertheless been delivering bestselling CDs and successfully touring…ever since her 1993 breakout Tuesday Night Music Club. The reason for Crow’s staying power is simple: like Carole King, she knows how to craft catchy songs that draw from a wide variety of genres, including rock, folk, pop, country, blues, soul, and gospel." All of which still holds true for this 2017 performance from the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Touring in support of her latest CD, Be Myself, Crow plays guitar, bass, and keyboards, solidly backed by a six-person ensemble on a generous 21-song set that includes the title track along with four other cuts from the new album. Crow has a deep catalog of hits to draw from and she serves up several here, including "Everyday Is a Winding Road," "All I Wanna Do," "Leaving Las Vegas," "My Favorite Mistake," "If It Makes You Happy," and "Soak Up the Sun," as well as her fine cover of Cat Stevens’s "The First Cut Is the Deepest" and a rockin’ rendition of the Allman Brothers’ "Midnight Rider." Interspersed throughout (thankfully infrequently) are brief interview excerpts with Crow talking about her career. What is most disappointing here is the audio quality: unlike most Blu-ray releases, which offer lossless audio—usually DTS-HD 5.1—this release only features Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on both the DVD and Blu-ray releases. While the sound is decent, the Dolby Digital soundtracks are also less full-bodied and noticeably sharp on higher volume. Extras include the expanded interview with Crow, a slideshow, and two bonus audio CDs featuring the entire concert. Recommended. (R. Pitman)