ENTERTAINMENT

Adele says 'Hello' to Nashville at first Bridgestone concert

Dave Paulson
dnpaulson@tennessean.com
Adele performing Aug. 5, 2016, in Los Angeles.

"Hello."

That was the first word a packed house at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena heard from Adele on Saturday night. Yes, she was singing one of her most popular songs, but that greeting was also the most fitting way to kick the evening off.

Arena concerts rarely get as personal as the performance the British singer gave on Saturday — the first of her two sold-out shows at Bridgestone over the weekend.

It wasn't just due to the many heartbroken, soul-baring ballads she sang, but also because she's just as unguarded and open when she talks to the audience — which she did between nearly every song on Saturday.

When she first greeted them, it was as if she'd just run into 15,000 old friends at once. What she shared with them was often hilarious, surprising, self-deprecating and endearing.

"It's gonna be two hours of utter misery"

"Are you ready to have a good time with me tonight?" She asked. As the crowd cheered, she continued with a smile.

"I'm afraid to say you've come to the wrong place for that then. It's gonna be two hours of utter misery, guys, I just want to let you know... it's basically nearly 20 songs about me and my ex-boyfriends."

But at Bridgestone, singing sad songs — and singing along to them — seemed like the most fun anyone could have on a Saturday night. And Adele's massive tour (Saturday marked the 94th show) has found a unique and compelling way to present her music.

Adele's show is simple, yet striking. She's not flying on wires or dodging explosions, flames and backup dancers. But there was still a gasp of excitement when she popped up from the stage floor at the start of the show — on the opposite end of the venue, where only hardcore fans knew to watch for her. Her musicians are framed on stage behind a towering video screen, like a piece of fine art. And when video footage of Adele flashed on that screen, chances were it was in black and white.

Seven years later

The crowd also cheered as footage of Nashville was shown on that screen during "Hometown Glory." Saturday's show was Adele's first concert in Nashville since 2009, when she played the Cannery Ballroom, a club that fits roughly 1,000. She was supposed to perform at the Ryman Auditorium in 2011, but ultimately cancelled the show after being placed on vocal rest. Later that year, she had vocal cord surgery.

Obviously, Adele isn't playing 1,000-capacity clubs anymore. Her entire U.S. arena tour sold out instantly when tickets went on sale last year. Like Nashville, nearly every city is getting two shows (or eight, in Los Angeles' case). Nearly a year's worth of anticipation was palpable in the arena on Saturday. When Adele asked who'd received tickets to the show for Christmas, a large portion of the room screamed.

"Well, ho ho ho!" she replied. "Merry Christmas! I'm here at last."

She'd already been in town for three days, she revealed, enjoying good company and food. But one local she hadn't met was on her mind, too: Alison Krauss. Adele talked about how "Don't You Remember" was musically inspired by the bluegrass star, and the acoustic semi-circle she'd formed with her band for the tune was an opportunity to "pretend I'm Alison Krauss for five minutes."

"If any of you know her, let her know how much I love her. I think she's sublime."

"People let this song soundtrack their lives..."

Adele had her share of sublime moments on Saturday, too. Her belting on "Rolling in the Deep" and "Hello" was just as powerful in person, but her quieter moments were even more arresting: the hushed outset of her "James Bond" theme "Skyfall" and "Chasing Pavements," her breakthrough hit. You hear both sides on the piano ballad "Someone Like You," which Adele believes is in a league of its own.

"People let this song soundtrack their lives," she said. "I want to be a singer and a writer for the rest of my life, but to have one song that anyone cares about the way they care about this song, everything I do now is just for fun."

And according to Adele, she's still having fun, even at show No. 94. But some parts of being a famous singer aren't as enjoyable for her.

"I know sometimes it seems like I don't like what comes of what I do," she said. "And sometimes I don't...but the main thing I try and do by living a private life is living a real life, so I can write real music, and real records that real people can relate to."

"I promise you that I will disappear again," she continued. "But I also promise that I will come back again. And I hope to see you again, because you cheer me up, and you're a huge part of my life."