To celebrate the release of her sophomore album, Teenage Dream, Katy Perry performed a “Live on Letterman” webcast concert last week. And I was lucky enough to sit in the audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater! Hair-accessory company Scunci sponsored the event (look down–I bet you have a Scunci hair elastic around your wrist right now). But Katy, known for psychedelic hair colors, kept it tame for the show, wearing her hair in loose natural curls. (Her backup dancers, on the other hand, rocked cotton candy-pink Afro wigs.) As Katy bounced around the candy-themed stage in a glittery white tutu, she infected the crowd with her high energy and excitement. I grew up going to concerts with lip-syncing and hyper-choreographed dancing. These days (especially post-Ashlee Simpson’s Saturday Night Live scandal), more artists sing live . . . but not everyone sounds as sharp as they do on the radio. If I closed my eyes at Katy’s show, I would not have known if I was listening to Katy singing live or her recorded album blasting in my bedroom. She sounded that good.
After kicking off her performance with “Hot N Cold,” Katy proclaimed, “It’s like my birthday and Christmas Day rolled all into one. It’s my release day!” Katy then sang a slower rendition of her mega-hit, “I Kissed a Girl,” dabbling in a bluesy sound that showed off her impressive vocal range. Before she broke out into her newest single, “Teenage Dream” (the perfect back-to-school hit), I felt like I had woken up in Candy Land. The female backup dancers wore tight polka-dot minidresses and Katy’s male band members dressed in all-white suits and bow ties. Though the set was cheeky and fun, Katy showed raw emotion and connected with the audience when she strapped on her guitar and played ”Thinking of You,” a song off One of the Boys about a tough breakup. After belting out “Waking Up in Vegas,” Katy asked the crowd, “Is it all right if I play one I’ve never played ever? It’s one of my favorite songs off this new record.” OH, YES! The song, “Fireworks,” did not disappoint–she quickly had the crowd singing along to the catchy hook.
To perform “Peacock,” Katy emerged in an elaborate light-up feather ensemble that reminded me of her bold
Met Gala dress. Katy announced to the crowd: “It feels good to be here in New York City! I do love New York, although I do fear for my life sometimes when I sing certain songs.” Cue “California Gurls.” I have to say, as a pseudo-New Yorker (OK, OK, I’m from Philly. And I go to school in the Midwest), this song isn’t my anthem. You’ll sooner catch me spitting lyrics to “Empire State of Mind” than you’ll see me shaking my hips to “California Gurls.” Despite this, there I was–shimmying to Katy’s summer smash hit. Sorry, New York, as much as I love you, I just can’t help myself around Ms. Perry. I ran home and purchased
Teenage Dream, and I recommend you do the same. The album is full of clever and catchy pop hits that will have you singing into your hairbrush . . . fantasizing about Candy Land, your dream boy, and all that glitters.
