Lady exotica with the bluesy attitude returned to Salt Lake City for the fourth time Friday. And she played like it was her last gig on earth.
Osborne's crackling vocal qawwali (exotic Indian chanting) opened the show as she, bassist Rainy Orteca, drummer Chalo Quintana and guitarists Jack Petruzzelli and Eric Della Penna stepped to their instruments.Throughout the night, Osborne's earthy vocals hushed the crowd as the band shifted moods from silky smooth to smoothly sexy.
Tunes such as "Right Hand Man," "Spider Web" and "Dracula Moon" had the extremely mixed crowd screaming approval.
Those who had seen Osborne during any of her past Utah appearances noticed the set was basically the same. However, the intensity was fresh, and Osborne and her band played well and hard.
At times, Osborne would be on the verge of giving it her all, but then teasingly stepped back to relish the applause. A tease though she is, she delivered the goods and left the audience of about 1,000 hungry for more, yet satisfied.
Osborne's stage presence enticed the audience to cheer even when she stood still. And it screamed louder when she did walk to the stage's edge and peer out into the pavilion.
The band's tightness still reflected the spontaneity of the blues. Some long jams were peppered with Osborne's controlled rasp and at other times she let the musicians take the spotlight.
During "Fish Song," Osborne even pushed Della Penna into the spotlight and playfully hid the eyes of Petruzzelli before whispering seductively into his ear.
The audience ate it up and swayed to the primal rhythms and sang along.
"You aren't at work anymore," Osborne said to the crowd. "So you know what to do."
With that, the band slid into "Mind Full of Worry," a driving tune originally performed by the defunct New York band Aquanettes.
Other gutsy tunes Osborne offered included a hot, sweaty tune called "Falling From Grace," during which the singer seductively snaked her way across the stage to her microphone, and the moody, acoustic-laden "Crazy Baby."
Throughout the night, an elaborate light show flashed brightly colored stars, specks and circles across the backdrops, which were illustrated with various religious icons.
And in keeping that thought, the band played the obligatory but crowd-pleasing "One of Us."
How many times can Osborne sing this song without it becoming stale? Well, she's probably lost count, but from the way the song was performed Friday, it's still got a lot of miles left.
The encore included the emotional "St. Teresa" and "Strenuous Acquaintances," from the Ellen DeGeneres flop-flick "Mr. Wrong."
Did five Grammy Award nominations change Joan Osborne?
Not even. Osborne played her heart out, though those who've seen her before might have noticed she was a little drained. Still, shame on you who weren't there.
Opening act G. Love & Special Sauce warmed the crowd with its own blend of funk, hip-hop and rhythm and blues. The audience, to its credit, gave the band a warm welcome.
But it was Osborne's show, and she didn't disappoint.