Here are a few of my thoughts on the performance in Salt Lake City:

Madeleine's performance at the Salt Lake City Arts Festival was probably the worst musical event I have ever witnessed.  She trotted out on stage, made no eye contact with the audience, and began complaining--she complained about the sound quality, the presence of other musical events going on at the same time, the lack of audience participation, and on and on.  The performance itself was quite lackluster. She almost seemed to be mocking herself as she labored through the setlist.  I was sitting up front and watched her as she chewed out the guy on the soundboard.  She seemed oblivious of the hundreds of fans eager to hear her perform, and she smuggly complained throughout the whole show, finally ending about 10 minutes early.  Good performers are typically able to improvise and "roll with the punches," if they confront poor lighting, sound, etc.  Setlists are modified and accommodations are made to please the crowd.  But pleasing the crowd and putting on a good show seemed to be about the last thing that Madeleine Peyroux wanted to provide.

Careless Love is made up of perfect songs, excellent production and a superb voice: all around dedication. I would not have been disappointed in Madeleine's show at Club Soda in Montreal, July 4th had I not known the sublime album Careless Love.

The format basically followed the album with the addition of about 5 other songs, virtually all of them sung in an inexplicable restraint, her voice subdued, rarely allowing her beautiful richness or volume, that lowcountry taste of each syllable which we know and savour from the album. I was frightened into remembering how I've seen Dylan perform, taking great songs and rushing through the lyrics on almost any chosen tune. We couldn't even tell this was the girl with the magnificent voice. What a pity.

This was careless singing; I couldn't decide whether she had laryngitis or she was purposely avoiding any further comparison to previous great singers. Her absence of desire and passion turned a good sold-out audience into a dead-silent group that wanted more; we wanted to whoop up and cheer.  All was so quiet we could hear her foot tapping. And when she spoke, it was to deliver unclear, unprepared compliments and thanks. Poorly done.

A true busker, she seemed uncomfortable on a stage except the couple of times we almost drew her into letting go and singing her heart out. That and the last encore (La Vie en Rose) which, to her evident delight, most of the women -- and some men -- sang with her. Ah Montreal, we tried, but Madeleine let us down.

It seems such a great shame that you felt let down by Madeleine's performance.   I have become an avid fan and have had the privilege of seeing her perform on a number of occassions and have never been disappoionted.  In past performances I have marvelled at her seemingly effortless ability to perform in a very understated manner but with the most sublime result.  Yes Careless Love is a great CD but I have always maintained she is the one artist that you should see live.  It is true there is no artifice, no affectation - just a pure and captivating voice.  Madeleine's unaffected stage presence is what is most beguiling and in its simplicity is extremely appealing.  What is so welcome is precisely the fact that she is not a diva - she is not an egotist - just a very compelling performer.

I regret that Madeleine was in your view not on form, perhaps if you look at her gruelling schedule - she is overstretched and as a result was under parr.  I sincerely hope that you will have the opportunity to see her again.  In the meantime continue to be enthralled with her album and do not let one performance dissuade you from the fact that - what you get on the album is what you can also get live ... and in my experience infinitely more sublime. 

Hope you get to expereince this sometime.