Reviews
 Keep It Simple
Van Morrison
Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008
Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008
Another Country
Tift Merritt
Be Your Own Pet
Get Awkward
Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)
Juno – Music from the Motion Picture
Various Artists
Yes - Their Definitive Story
Day and Night Driving
Seven Mary Three
InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY
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I don’t know why I’m writing this, because world opinion renders any critical review impotent. There are people who love Mariah Carey’s music, and those who can’t stand it, and neither group is going to change, no matter what I have to say about it.
This DVD collection contains a (very) short film by Spike Lee entitled “Lovers and Haters” that that makes my point for me. In the film, a group of ‘haters’ attacks Mariah behind her back, wallowing in all kinds of nastiness while Mariah looks on and smiles it off. It’s funny in a nasty sort of way, but that’s the way the world is – either you identify with the girl, or you don’t. Either you ‘get’ her, or you don’t. I could waste my time making all sorts of critical observations, but that would only throw me into the mix of players and haters, so I’ll pass. Instead, I’ll stick to the facts.
“The Adventures of Mimi” is a 2 disk DVD set that features a live performance by Mariah and her awesomely talented (oops, that’s an opinion) backing band, caught live while on tour in California. From beginning to end, the performance is so slick you could ice skate on it, containing a stunning mix of cheesy opulence and studied perfection. In a word, this is spectacle (or as Mariah refers to it, ‘spectacularity”).
A team of dancers surrounds Mariah and they perform like Olympic gymnasts, while the background vocalists swoop and swoon their way through each song as though they were superstars in their own right. The stage features four huge screens to project Mariah’s image in a size that suits the grandiose nature of the program, and that isn’t counting the additional screens installed on either side of the main platform. More bangles, baubles, beads and bling separate the screens than you’d see in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Mariah (or ‘Mimi’) performs a segment of the show on a smaller stage in the center of the arena, which she accesses as if she were a boxer approaching the main event. It’s all-incredible, but nothing is more incredible than the look of absolute rapture on the faces of her fans as she performs each of her hit recordings. A second disk contains backstage footage, some karaoke recordings and Spike Lee’s short film, as mentioned above.
That should paint a fairly benign picture of the event featured on this DVD. There is simply no sense in denying Mariah Carey’s talent, or her phenomenal popularity. This is a woman who has had 17 (and counting) #1 hits. A LOT of people love Mariah, and it would be ignorant for me to mention personal observations about her providing the world with a Disney-fied version of urban culture, or the hollow sentimentality of her lyrics. If I did that, I’d be a hater, so I’ll keep my opinions to myself and let the world enjoy this video in peace. Oh, and the free perfume sample of ‘M’ was quite nice, too.
If you’re a player, rate this an ‘A’ If you’re a hater, rate it ‘D-‘
Grade: 
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