Brandi Carlile- Live at Benaroya Hall

In 2011, Brandi Carlile released her first live CD, Live at Benaroya Hall, which featured Carlile and her band accompanied by the Seattle Symphony.  The concert featured works from Carlile's third album Giving Up The Ghost, as well as songs from her other albums and a few covers as well. 

Before listening, I was interested to hear what effect an orchestra would have on Carlile's live show.  Having seen her once in Milwaukee, I knew that Carlile had incredible stage presence, but my fear was that her music and band (as has happened to others) would be drowned out by an orchestra, the music's impact made melodramatic. 

For the most part, that didn't happen at Benaroya Hall, as the orchestra nicely completed Carlile and her band.  The quieter songs (such as "Shadow On The Wall") retained their intimacy, while the more uptempo songs ("Dreams") got a not-too-overbearing kick.  Carlile showed her sometimes McCartneyesque rapport with the audience, leading a sing-along on "Turpentine" and telling the audience they sounded amazing.

For me, Benaroya Hall was a satisfying listen. Carlile's voice is breathtaking at times (such as on her haunting version of "Hallelujah"), and she's not afraid to showcase others (her twin guitarists perform a wonderful duet on "The Sound of Silence".  It did leave me wishing for a release of her and the band without the orchestra, especially since I won't be able to attend her July 3 Milwaukee show.