From the very first row, at the very first seat (Row A, Seat 1, meaning I was the first to buy my tickets for this show, YES!). I could attend this show. Cherif Mbaw opened for Tracy: he was the opening act on the 2005 Where You Live tour (in the UK it was Ben Taylor that year), and he got a call yesterday to open for Tracy. Since it seems that there’s no official opening act on this tour (and I’m wondering why), I suppose he will open for her on the upcoming Zénith gigs in France (that is to say in Nantes, Rouen & Lille)

1. America: Tracy took the stage shortly after 9pm and began the set by America, which is quite unusual. She played it on the acoustic guitar, the song was less powerful than when she was playing it very loud on the electric guitar and was playing drums on it. But still it was great to hear it (and i would have been the only song from the Where You Live album).

2. Sing For You: it’s a big hit in France so people were happy to hear it, and for me it was the first time I heard it live with the band (I had seen/heard the Jay Leno performance, but it’s never the same when you hear it live)

3. Mountains O’Things: Nothing to declare :)

4. Something To See: as for the other OBF songs, I loved to hear it live with the band.

5. Say Hallelujah: When she played it without mentionning Michael, I thought we’d have someting special later

6. Smoke And Ashes: A nice surprise from the New Beginning album (which is still my favorite album)

7. Another Sun: it’s an original way to play this song, Tracy sat on the drum box. It must not be easy to sing while being sat this way. She made it last a bit longer, that much than Joe had to improvise on the guitar :)

8. Save Us All: The band was gathered on the center of the stage and they were sat, it was as if they were playing together in family http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak … 8347_n.jpg

9. I’ll Be There: there was the best moment of the show, so moving. Tracy told us that the song she would play was all of her childhood, she was remembering herself and friends dancing on the front porch listening to songs like this one on the record player. She said they would play this song “in the memory of a really wonderful & talented musican who recently passed away”. Here’s a partial video of the performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR-sIRGEVGw
I couldn’t help but crying a bit, because MJ has been part of my life, as he has been part of everyone’s life. I’m so bitter to see how things happened and I’m feeling so sad that such a talented artist could be that unhappy. Tracy was trully moved while singing the song. And after she said she needed some time to get back to the concert and carry on the next song.

10. I Did It All: also sung sat besides Joe and Patrick, she didn’t introduce the song as she did on the previous gigs.

11. The Promise: only her and Patrick on stage. The Promise is a song that would be on EACH setlist from a classical tour (like Fast Car, Talkin’Bout A Revolution and Give Me One Reason), and people love it alot

12. Fast Car: Nothing to declare :)

13. Our Bright Future: Nice way of playing it, a bit different than on the CD

14. Talkin’Bout A Revolution: The audience went wild on this song (the biggest hit in France) so they got up and went close to the stage. It was real mess, people taking pictures, shouting, clapping, smoking pots, being a bit aggressive and smelly as well :( It was really hot in Paris yesterday. It’s never my favorite part of a Tracy Chapman show I must admit

15. Telling Stories: Tracy on the acoustic guitar, I prefer when she plays it on the electric guitar!

16. Give Me One Reason: It became a classic song on a Tracy Chapman concert, she did played the second part of the song, and from the all the times I heard her play those second parts, I never heard it played twice the same, it’s unbelievable!

Encore 1: Baby Can I Hold You: Nothing to declare :)

Encore 2: She’s Got Her Ticket: My favorite song from the Debut Album and she makes it rock each times she plays it on the electric guitar (I love that!)

Encore 3 . I Am Yours: to end the show smoothly.

From what you read here you understand that I love when Tracy Chapman plays the electric guitar, when she plays songs that are rarely in the setlist, when she covers some songs I never heard sung by her before, when the crowd is quiet… But it’s always a pleasure to attend a Tracy Chapman show!! I attended lots of her concerts, I will never forget this one but the reason why I won’t is really sad :(