In Pictures: Norah Jones @ Siri Fort Auditorium, Delhi
Moving on...
After her debut performance in India at A Summer's Day in Mumbai on Sunday, March 3 (check out pics and a report from the festival), Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Norah Jones played two sold-out shows at the lovely Siri Fort Auditorium, Delhi on March 5 and 6.
Photo by Shalaka Pai
Inside out
The expansive hall is no stranger to high-profile performances, and was packed to its maximum capacity on both days, with an audience comprising both fans of the musician as well as the venue's regular patrons.
Photo by Vijay Sharma
M. Ward
Portland singer-songwriter M. Ward played the opening set on both days. The unassuming musician seemed to prefer to stay out of the spotlight as he crooned his way through a 30-minute set which included tracks like 'Lullaby' and 'Primitive Girl'. "We're on a natural high because we got to see the Taj Mahal today," he said on the second day. "Americans throw around the word 'awesome' a lot... but today we saw something truly awesome," he said of the monument, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
Photo by Vijay Sharma
Norah Jones
Siri Fort Auditorium's intimate premises added another layer of charm to Ms Jones' already congenial disposition. She started her set with 'Happy Pills', the lead single from her most recent studio album Little Broken Hearts.
Photo by Shalaka Pai
Making comparisons
"I grew up in Texas, and India's a lot like Texas," Jones explained to her audience. Her endearing banter with the audience made sure that the crowd was entertained, and maybe even a tad smitten by her through the duration of her set.
Photo by Shalaka Pai
We're back.
The show on Wednesday, March 6 saw Jones begin her set at the organ, with her cover of Hank Williams' 'Cold Cold Heart', making it a much mellower beginning than the sets we'd seen earlier.
Photo by Vijay Sharma
Everything in stride.
Jones' Wurlitzer saw some technical difficulties halfway through her performance of 'Happy Pills', and the artist handled it like a pro, casually walking over to her organ to finish the song.
Photo by Shalaka Pai
Dilli log
Jones' second show saw a much livelier audience, with the crowd yelling playful questions at the artist. 'Miriam', in particular, elicited a small discussion about the lyrics of the track, and whether Miriam dies. 'It's just a song," Jones assured the audience before resuming.
Photo by Vijay Sharma
"Tell us about the Taj Mahal!"
The changed setlist somehow made the performance seem more animated. While the audience stayed silent towards the beginning of the set, they were soon clapping and humming along. Some even wolf-whistled, and asked about her trip to Agra the previous night.
Photo by Shalaka Pai
Changing it up
The stage setup lent itself extremely well to an indoor auditorium, making Jones' performance quite an immersive experience. Norah Jones changed up her setlist for both performances.
Setlist, March 5
'Happy Pills'
'What Am I To You'
'Say Goodbye'
'Take It Back'
'Chasing Pirates'
'Rosie'
'Little Broken Hearts'
'Long Way Home'
'Out On The Road'
'Cold Cold Heart'
'Carnival Town'
'Sinkin' Soon'
'Miriam'
'Lonestar'
'Nearness'
'Don't Know Why'
'Creepin' In'
'Sunrise'
--
'Stuck'
'Come Away With Me'
Photo by Vijay Sharma
Setlist, March 6
'Cold Cold Heart'
'Out Of The Road'
'All A Dream'
'She's 22'
'Happy Pills'
'What Am I To You'
'Say Goodbye'
'It's Gonna Be'
'Chasing Pirates'
'Broken'
'Black'
'Come Away With Me'
'Sinkin' Soon'
'Miriam'
'Creepin' In'
'Nearness'
'Don't Know Why'
'How Many Times'
'Sunrise'
'Stuck'
'Lonestar'
Ms Jones' last stop on her India tour sees her perform in Bangalore, at the MANPHO Convention Center grounds on March 8. Get your tickets here.
