Concert Revue by Stephanie Taylor

Whether she’s asking us to help underprivileged animals or helping graduates say goodbye to their classmates, Sarah McLachlan is an integral part of life’s soundtrack. She visited Wolf Trap’s Filene Center for the first time in 25 years and shared even more songs that could be the perfect backdrop for any poignant moment.

The show started with the sound of McLachlan’s subtle and soulful voice enveloping the grounds like the warm night air. I love the fact that she didn’t have an opening act because her catalogue is extensive enough to fill 7 or 8 shows. Did I mention that she performed here back in 1989? She is a prolific writer that has released 13 original albums and numerous compilations and remixes since Touch, her first in 1988. Judging from the new tracks she performed, her latest album Shine On sounds like all of her other ones, but in a wonderful way.  Consistency is not enough to describe the unfailing ability to move that unites all of McLachlan’s songs. Whether she is singing about ill-chosen lovers in “Monsters” or the hope of new love in “Brink of Destruction,” Sarah’s voice always hits you right in the feelings.

The adoration for her talent was unmistakable. Before the show, cars were parked blocks away from the park on both sides of the street. During the show, people frequently waved their hands and bowed their heads like they were in church. This was understandable since Sarah is a very spiritual person and lets that shine through in her music and in how she treats others. In addition to the numerous charities she supports, McLachlan held a contest online that asked people how they shine and the winners got to sit onstage for a few songs. She humbly introduced herself as Sarah and shook the hand of every person on her couch. She also answered some questions out of a hat and just talked to us like we were all her friends.

And what a great friend she is! She was sure to pour herself into every note of classic favorites such as “Building a Mystery” and “Adia” because she knows how much we love those songs. She sounded great on the piano and the guitar, and she looked fabulous in a sparkly silver top that inspired one of her onstage fans to comment on her toned arms (she attributes them to 17 years of Yoga). But what really made her shine was not the outfit; it was the genuine happiness that she exuded while performing and the wholeness we in the audience felt while being in her presence. I sincerely hope another quarter-century does not pass before we get to see her again.

About The Author

Stephanie Taylor

Co-Editor/Entertainment Reporter

She may be a traffic engineer by day (hence the ‘stopsigngirl’ alias), but do not let her technical skills or multiple calculators fool you. Stephanie Taylor has a way with words. She will destroy any opponent in Scrabble, and get 50 points for using all 7 of her letters in the word “destroy.” She can a-n-n-i-h-i-l-a-t-e you in a spelling bee, having competed in no less than ten as a child. She uses correct punctuation in her text messages. It’s no wonder that copy editing comes naturally to her, and she is happy to fine tune the work of other writers before it reaches TRR readers.

Proofreading is not all that Stephanie loves to do. Regular reading without the proof is just fine, and she also loves to write. In fact, Steph has been writing since the tender age of 6 when she penned her would-be bestseller Mouse in Jail. It “would be” if all literary critics were in Kindergarten. Since elementary school, Stephanie has helped publish newsletters, yearbooks, and the Arts & Entertainment section of The Rice Thresher, Rice University’s student newspaper.

Stephanie’s other gigs have included singing her heart out in the chorus of My Fair Lady in Houston, doing improv comedy in front of hundreds of people in Atlanta, and teaching A.P. English in Los Angeles. She loves to travel and have cultural adventures like tubing down a river in Ecuador, dancing in a South Asian festival, or riding a ferry from Italy for 19 hours just to get real Greek food. Cooking and Yoga are also among Stephanie’s list of favorite things to do, but she cannot do them at the same time.

This native Texan genuinely adores reporting on entertainment as much as she loves to entertain, and is looking forward to learning more about what the D.C. area has to offer and sharing that news with you.

Stephanie Taylor also likes to write about herself in the third person.

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