Review: LINDA EDER Always A Welcome Entertainer At 54 Below

The crowd was thrumming with palpable anticipation when Linda Eder took the stage on Friday, April 7th at her sold-out solo show at 54 Below. She joked that she overheard a server saying that they "always loved working a Linda Eder night because you people show up." The small, intimate venue was, indeed, packed to the gills with Eder fans, eager to hear her latest concert, this time themed around tributes to people that Eder respected or admired. It was a treat to hear Eder's silky voice on a wide variety of songs from men and women who have touched her in one way or another. The theme was sparked by Olivia Newton-John's recent all-too-soon passing last August, but she included tributes across decades and genres, including Judy Garland (of course), a suite of songs from some of her favorite country artists, and even the contemporary Sara Bareilles, whose song "Gravity" Ms. Eder sand a touching acoustic version of. She received no less than four standing ovations throughout the show.

Eder, as always, was mesmerizing to watch, self-assured but humble with a great sense of humor, drawing guffaws from the crowd between songs. At one point, when a small stumble from the piano caused her to pause and restart the song, she joked that she was "having déjà vu." She also spoke about her relatively recent decision to go naturally grey during the pandemic, admitting that part of her felt insecure showing up with her hair like that, despite the old promo photos that 54 Below was still using - she worried about not looking like what people expected to see. However, she told women who had any reservations about what people would think about their grey hair to "f**k 'em," a very wise message. (And incidentally, Eder's hair, a lustrous silver mane, looked fantastic.) Linda encouraged the audience to check out videos of her grow-out process on her social media (she's "trying to prove that old people can be vloggers," with videos about the simple farm life she lives when she's not on stage).

Eder's music director, Billy Stritch, also has a wonderful voice, joining Eder for a duet on several numbers like "Carry You Home." The concert had wonderful accompaniment from Strich on piano, as well as David Finck, Eric Halvorson, and Aaron Heick. The show dazzled from start to finish, an obviously very well-rehearsed concert full of old favorites and less well-known numbers. Linda Eder spaces her concerts out, wanting to savor each one, and her run at 54 Below song out so well that, even before the conclusion of this one, it was announced that she will be back October 3rd, 7th and 11th. If you haven't seen Eder live before, you simply must. In the meantime, grab one of the many CDs available on her website to whet your appetite.

For more information on 54 Below you can visit their website, and follow them on Twitter or Instagram at @54Below.

For information on Linda Eder's October shows click HERE.

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