SUZANNE VEGA, Red Butte Garden, Sunday.
Suzanne Vega is not a botanist who craves dessert.
Instead, in the her new song "Unbound," she is possibly a plant who craves freedom, or maybe a human who aches for the security of roots. And in "Caramel," she is heartbroken and mourning the loss of her one true love, which may or may not be flan.
Regardless, as she reminded the audience multiple times during her Sunday-night performance at the Red Butte Garden amphitheater, her songs are not often as they appear. While they may sometimes sound like simple topics, they are actually deeper metaphors for life and love and loss.
Vega is a talented songwriter, and one who is not afraid to tackle delicate and sometimes painful topics. Many of her lyrics wield a dark edge, even when draped with her delicate voice.
She is also a bold performer, unafraid to stand on a bare stage at Red Butte with nothing except an acoustic guitar and an accompanying bassist. The approach gave the show an intimate feeling, a mood enhanced by her introspective introductions to many of the songs.
Tackling the pain of love put Vega on her surest footing at Red Butte, especially during songs like "Penitent" and the summer love paean "Gypsy." On both, her lyrics and singing were equal parts gut-wrenching and celebratory.
While Vega carried the show, bassist Richard Gates provided perfectly sculptured backdrops for her songs. His contributions were especially apt on "Left of Center," where she set aside the guitar, and the encore, "Calypso."
As expected, she closed the main set with a perfect rendition of "Luka," by far her biggest hit, and "Tom's Diner." The latter she performed a cappella, with a strong assist from the crowd.
Opener Leroy Bell and His Only Friends brought a soulful, uplifting vibe on their first visit to Salt Lake. While they lacked a definitive song, the soulful, acoustic midtempo rock was pleasant, and Bell's voice paired well with the laid-back, late-summer vibe of the evening.
E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com