Concert date: 7/29/99 L.A., CA

Review of the show:
Date: 29 July 1999

Time: 20:00 to 23:17

Place: Universal City, Ca.

Venue: Universal Amphitheatre

Capacity: 6251

Event: Whitney Houston – “My Love Is Your Love” tour

Opening Act: 112

As a cool artificial breeze circulated through the capacity filled auditorium, the evening began w/ a white flash & a multi-colored sparkle. Immediately Houston’s musicians & dancers took center stage & deftly slid into the hip-hop flavored, up-tempo groove of “Get It Back”. Moments later “The Voice” regally appeared on the landing of those now infamous stairs & instantly had the audience on their feet. Attired in a glittery bejeweled sequined full length jacket, dark turtle neck, & hip-hugging sequined capri slacks Whitney was glamorous, funky, & most definitely on the cutting-edge of fashion.

GIB

As she playfully rocked & bounced while nimbly descending the staircase the background chorus of GIB began. I knew from that moment on, that we were in for a truly special & memorable evening. The Voice was soulful, funky, & velvety smooth. Whitney & her dancers rocked the house, while a frantic security scrambled to unsuccessfully to keep the highly energized crowd seated.

HH

Next Whitney checked into her very successful R&B hit “Heartbreak Hotel”. If ever there was any doubt concerning the success of this recording w/o Faith & Kelly, Whitney squarely laid those fears to rest. Whitney’s solo rendition w/ Cindy Mizelle providing key backup vocals was one of the evenings many highlights. On HH Whitney smoldered, sparkled, than unleashed w/ a controlled passion that only she seems capable of. Effortlessly gliding into a silky soulful riff that included her signature moans & wails, Whitney subtlety reinvented this tune. And from the audience reaction quite a few would have happily stayed checked into this hotel.

IITYT

On her third number a relaxed but enthusiastic Houston ad-libbed “LA If I Told You That…” to an adoring, appreciative crowd. Basically performed similar to the studio recording w/ a few minor but refreshing changes here & there, IITYT was the actual closing of her rousing opening set. It was during this number that you notice how completely Houston could commandeer a stage. When Whitney sashayed, skipped, or shuffled nary an eye strayed to far from the radiant star. Her natural flair for comedy was also fully evident, as she easily connected to her audience w/ her witty down to earth humor & personality. IITYT irrevocably proved that Whitney was destined to be in front of an audience or camera. On quite a few occasions I subconsciously found myself thinking that this woman should definitely be doing more movies & television specials such as MTV Unplugged.

YGGL

Whitney’s remarkable second set consisted mostly of her earlier contemporary ballads. She logically began w/ her first big hit “You Give Good Love”. Never one of my favorite recordings, this live performance had me mesmerized from beginning to end. Here the vocals had a light breezy, jazzy texture. Whitney had almost completely reworked the arrangements, giving the tune a more mature, soulful sound. It was during this number that Whitney noticed a woman in the front row chatting on her cell phone. Houston good-naturedly chided the offender by asking “ Who you talking to”. When she responded that it was her small children that were sadly unable to attend, Whitney instructed the woman to hold her phone in the air while she soothingly sang “Hello babies I wish you could be here” several times. Almost the entire audience released a collective sigh of ohhhs & ahhhs as Whitney expertly shifted personas from glamorous star to loving mother. She also interacted w/ several other audience members in the first few rows. Primarily focusing her attention on a trio of South Central adolescents that she later tossed her sweat, drenched towel to.

SAMLFY

“Saving All My Love For You” was another definite highlight of what was beginning to be a truly extraordinary evening. Begun in a cappella Whitney delivered an achingly beautiful, classy performance. Her purity & clarity of tone closely bordered on being surreal. There was just a simple elegance to her phrasing that brought forth images of romantic rendezvous & exquisite candle-lit dinners. At the end in a divaesque, tongue-in-cheek move Houston turns her back towards the audience and re-applies her makeup, causing the amused crowd to cheer her on…it was pure Whitney.

UYCB

Returning to center stage Whitney’s gracefully slid into the opening verse of “Until You Come Back”. On UYCB Whitney instantly transported the listener back to the bye-gone days of torch singers & cabarets. Whitney was never more powerful or decidedly self-assured, as she softly glided & caressed each note before letting loose w/ her powerful mid-range. UYCB finally provided Whitney w/ the opportunity to cut loose & showcase her superior interpretive skills & vocal prowess. The final verse also allowed the star to include her first reference to hubby Bobby when she ad-libbed “Bobby until you come back to meeeee”.

OY

“Oh Yes” opened w/ Whitney asking the audience do they feel like getting sexy tonight. Next she teasingly asked would they like to hear a secret, after a brief pause she naughtily said “Believe it or not me & Bobby don’t fight all the time”. Grinning slyly w/ the stage lights dimmed she later stated that this song was her answer to the question “How does Bobby make you feel”. Than in a stirring, seductive contralto she answered “The day you held me in your arms I still smell da scent of you… (dramatic pause)”…”On my dress unbelievable you were so masculine…(dramatic pause again)”. Instantly she had vividly shifted the mood from a sassy playfulness to a sexually charged atmosphere that was almost tangible. Her captivated audience was completely entranced as she wrapped us in her sensual embrace. This was one of my favorite performances throughout the evening.

E(SS)

The opening chorus of “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” found Whitney requesting participation from a very willing audience. But when the section to her far right (my section) failed to shoop properly Whitney humorously proclaimed ‘that we needed help from the Shoop Angels”. Next she requested help from the middle section which performed only marginally better. Finally the far left section was given a try. Well needless to say they shooped so loudly that even Whitney was pleasantly surprised. After the contest Whitney cried out was BeBe Winans in the audience. When he failed to appear Whitney than requested Monica to join her on stage. Monica quickly appeared dressed in an off-white long sleeve blouse & knee-length skirt. Ironically she had her hair styled similar to Whitney’s in the Shoop video w/o the back flip. After they playfully traded shoops by impressively sliding up & down the scale. Whitney ended the exchange by doing a joyous little twirl to Monica’s last soulful shoop. Later they both sat on the edge of the far-left stage discussing a future television deal they were finalizing w/ Disney. When Monica eventually exited Whitney repeatedly referred to her as “My baby…that’s Monica…my baby girl”.

ILFTB

In closing the first half of the show Whitney smartly choose the stunning, dramatic ballad “I Learned From The Best”. Whitney’s deep, rich vocals resonated w/ a sheer brilliance & power on this number. The only blemish on this otherwise flawless performance was that infamous ending. Twice she subtly tried to hit that last note w/ the same force & conviction that she had so brilliantly demonstrated throughout this performance. Finally on her third attempt she settled for a soft whispery falsetto that was reminiscent of a certain Ms Carey. For those not familiar w/ the studio recording the reworked ending went unnoticed & was completely satisfying.

INTERMISSION:

Intermission provided Whitney’s older brother Gary w/ the opportunity to sang the Eric Clapton hit “Change The World”. While Gary performed an ethically mixed & diverse crowd simultaneously filled the lobby. It was interesting to note that the majority were dressed as if they were going out on an evening of fine dining & dancing. There were very few jeans & t-shirts in this crowd.

IEW

The second half of the show opened w/ an elegant Houston reappearing in a form fitting, floor-length white gown modeled during her earlier “Oprah” appearance. The gown primarily consisted of a shimmery sheer lining generously covered w/ hand-painted, pastel floral designs, a long train & a lime green imitation fur wrap. Whitney looked absolutely gorgeous in this outfit. As she magically glided toward center stage, she softly began the opening verses of “I’m Every Woman”. Almost the entire auditorium was instantly on their feet from the start to the finish. Similar to the “Divas Live” performance w/o the Chaka wails, on IEW Whitney was definitely every woman this night.

IWDWS

Whitney launched into “I Wanna Dance W/ Somebody” by striding back & forth across the stage clapping her hands high above her head repeatedly chanting “This is the remix yah”. IWDWS had an infectious house groove that kept the crowd squarely on their feet. This was my favorite dance tune throughout the show. Surprisingly Bobby briefly joined her on stage by quickly sliding next to her & performing a few little tap back dance steps. Brown dressed in casual light-gray slacks & a v-neck shirt could be seen throughout the evening on the left side of the stage. If you believe any of the tabloid fodder, it was pleasantly shocking to see Bobby enjoying his wife’s performance so much. BB literally rocked, danced, & lovingly beamed at his wife through out the whole show.

HWIK

Next Whitney seamlessly slid into the 80’s dance classic “How Will I know”. Primarily staying close to the original recording’s arrangements she added only a few new vocal twists & flourishes. Yet this performance solidly answered the question “How appropriate would Whitney sound singing these tunes years from now”…well based on the audience response I would say “Its right & more than okay”.

IMB

Performed w/ a funky sassiness that completely obliterated her supposedly cold, unapproachable, diva image, “In My Business” proved w/o a doubt that Whitney could rock the house. While her spandex clad dancers swarmed around her snapping mock pictures, Whitney attacked, chewed & spat out the lyrics w/ an aggression & conviction rarely heard from. Flashing that huge rock on her finger as she snarled “Cause I’m the chick walkin round w/ the ring”, IMB showcased a Whitney who can definitely take care of her own business. Later hubby Bobby reappeared as he decided to rejoin the action by pretending to take pictures of Whitney’s rear. IMB concluded w/ Houston surrounded by her dancers defiantly shouting, “ Get a job”. Minutes later Whitney disappointedly scanned the audience for Missy Elliot who penned IMB. Whitney stated that she had agreed to perform this tune only if Missy attended the concert. Feigning indignation Whitney than purposely stalked across the stage requesting to borrow the cell phone from the woman she had earlier been joking w/.

ILTL

I must say that earlier Whitney’s warm, charming, & witty personality had almost seriously threatened to overshadow her marvelous vocals until…“I Love The Lord”. ILTL opened the gospel section of her show & was performed to absolute perfection. The way she delicately caressed the first few notes & slowly began building in power & intensity was truly incredible. ILTL was such a deeply moving & inspiring performance that even a non-believer would be hard pressed to question the existence of a higher power.

IGTTR

“I Go To The Rock’ was the second & sadly last offering of Houston’s truly uplifting & inspiring gospel set. W/ IGTTR Whitney resoundingly took us to church. At one point she was bouncing & shuffling (gettin happy) w/ so much joyous abandonment that I feared she would trip on her gown. Once again the entire amphitheater audience were on their feet stomping & clapping in unison. Eventually Whitney requested her band to bring down the music while she warmly chatted w/ her audience. It was during these proceedings that she finally made a reference to the departure of longtime music director Ricky Minor by stating that “…he is moving on to bigger & better things & I’m happy for him”. Her mentor Clive Davis was also introduced as the spotlights trained on a rising & graciously waving Clive. She informed us that “Clive just don’t come to anybody’s concert…if he don’t like you, he ain’t comin”. Afterwards Whitney & Clive repeatedly blew kisses @ each other & silently mouthed the words I love you. Following Clive’s introduction Houston jokingly told the crowd how Face had given her the song Shoop & she thought he had ran out words. She said “ the man come s up w/ a whole album & he gives me song w/ every word being shoop.” Well Face told her to “just sing the song & they will get it”. She than formally introduced “BabyFace & his lovely wife Tracey Edmonds” who received a well deserved standing ovation. After Face’s introduction she good-naturedly joked w/ two fans seated in the first few rows. Later while talking to the earlier mentioned So. Central youths, the previous two fans kept yelling “Whitney, Whitney”. Finally she pointedly said, “ I’m trying to talk to the little ones here”. She continued by telling the kids that they could do anything they wanted to do if they stayed in school. But unfortunately the two guys continued making a nuisance of themselves until Whitney commandingly said “You need to sit down…sit down now & I’ll get back to you”. Incredulously the guys continued so Whitney bemusedly laughed, threw her hands up, shook her head & strolled to the other side of the stage. Where unbelievably someone else interrupted her by shouting “Whitney”. Whitney slightly annoyed responded “What” (paused) than softly chuckled said, “Is that all you have to say to me”. Eventually she began the actual introduction of her crew. While introducing her dancers she introduced her prepubescent stepdaughter from the IEW routine saying “ that’s right I put them to work young…you have to start them off right”. The audience knowingly nodded in agreement. Later strutting back & forth while elegantly draping her train in her hand she told the audience that “There is a trippin spirit in here”. But moments later accompanied by a rousing acoustic piano she launched into an impressive shuffle & kick (gettin happy) dance again. Reluctantly she told her pianist that they had better stop.

MLIYL

The outstanding CD titled track “My Love Is Your Love” began w/ the opening phrase “Clap your hands yah its alright”. Initially performed like the original recording, it smoothly morphed into the up-tempo Wyclef remix sans the rap when Bobbi Kris appeared on stage. As Whitney & BK performed a cute choreographed dance routine Bobby also returned to the stage. But the actual highlight of the number came when BK rhythmically rapped “My name Is Bobbi Kris & I’m here to say…clap your hands” several times while mom & dad proudly looked on. It was definitely a Kodak moment. Afterwards Whitney went to rear of the stage while Bobby holding BK grabbed the mike & abruptly told the audience to “Get Up” than laughing said, “You can see I’m a gentle man”. Bobby than gave the impression he was going to sing until Whitney hurriedly returned hustling both BB’s off stage. Whitney declared that they are running behind schedule & the arena officials will be angry. Quickly exiting, a waving Bobby told the audience to look for his upcoming new album in the spring. When both BB’s were gone Whitney referred to little BK as her diva in waiting, than leaning against a stool lovingly said, “That’s my fam”.

IBIYAM

Before launching into “ I Believe In You & Me”, Whitney discussed how her movie career began when she unexpectedly received a call from actor Kevin Costner telling her he had a movie role for her. Whitney stated she had not seriously considered a career in films prior to this call & demurely responded “Me”. Next she discussed receiving a call from Forest Whitaker and again sweetly replied “Me”. Lastly she received a call from (long pause) Denzel Washington (ladies in the audience began clapping & yelling) whereas she delicately began the first few notes of “I Believe In You & Me”. This was the studio version produced by Whitney & M. Warren, & she was in spectacular voice. Whitney’s fluid, heavenly voice soared like an angel, and when she sung “I was looost now I’m freeee” I was completely swept away. Whitney’s pristine soprano was simply magnificent to hear.

WDIHSB

On “Why Does It Hurt So Bad” Whitney reclined on a stool ala “MTV Music Awards” minus the sweat, and delivered a remarkable heartfelt performance. Showing an amazing amount of restraint & depth, she assuredly infused the song w/ honest emotions & feelings. At one point she launched into this dazzling little riff where she sang “Gotta get cha” repeatedly until the audience literally went wild. This seemingly insightful personal performance gave the audience an unexpected glance into her sometimes unjustly reported chaotic private life.

IHLH

“It Hurts Like Hell” was originally recorded by the incomparable Aretha for the WTE soundtrack. It superbly demonstrated why some consider Houston the obvious successor to Aretha’s “Queen Of Soul” title. It allowed Whitney to deliver a incredibly moving & confident performance reminiscent of a young Aretha. Where Aretha was bluesy, Whitney was soulful, where Aretha was soulful, Whitney was silky smooth. Houston undeniably placed her signature on this earthy, soulful ballad. She successfully interpreted the lyrics of pain & betrayal into an emotional vocal tour-de-force.

IWALY

Dedicating the next song to David Foster who was surprisingly in attendance w/ his wife. “Ifffff III should staaay…” began the a cappella opening of Whitney’s classic rendition of “I Will Always Love You”. And never has her range & power been more truly realized than on this performance. The vocals had a rich, lushness that was a vast improvement over the popish, overblown vocals heard on the recording. And when she dramatically rose, threw down her hand towel and belted out “And IIIIIIIIIIIIIII” the entire amphitheater leapt to their feet & erupted w/ a thunderous applause. It was w/o a doubt a glorious & truly awe-inspiring moment. I was rendered completely speechless. The lyrics became a true testament of how the audience felt for her that night. This triumphant performance concluded w/ Whitney taking a courtly bow like a beloved queen reigning over her loyal subjects. Several minutes later she majestically rose while repeatedly blowing kisses to her enamoured fans. She than unexpectedly tossed her towel into the audience, swiftly departing up the stairs to a roaring cry of “Whitney, Whitney”. As the rallying cry intensified, she vanished behind the stage while the lights were slowly darkened.

INRBIO(encore)

The cry of “Whitney, Whitney” continued until her dancers & musicians finally returned to a re-lit stage. On the landing Whitney serenely reappeared wearing the same gown w/ a different pink over wrap. Moments later the twinkling melody of “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” brought forth an over whelming cheer from the still standing crowd. Whitney began the first verse while she descended the staircase. Vocally performed w/ a funky, raw edginess that had the entire audience uncontrollably dancing. Whitney quickly arrived center stage & immediately joined her dancers to perform the dance routine seen on “Divas Live”. Whitney & her dancers tore it up. INRBIO was a fitting climax to a truly exciting & spectacular show. As the final chords blasted into the audience Houston sassily danced up the stairs still singing. INBIO concluded w/ a visage of a radiant Houston waving triumphantly on the landing ---- Fade to Black.