The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnqest@tribunemedia.net

SOAKING up the Bahamian sun with her young brood, pop-rock star Sheryl Crow lit up the Atlantis Live stage last weekend and gave show-goers a glimpse of what’s to come as she continues her feet-first plunge into the country music genre.

Less than a week after her appearance at the nominations concert for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, the guitar-slinging political activist took the stage at the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis last Saturday for the second time in the resort concert series.

While she didn’t smash any instruments, � la her New Buffalo concert in September, the nine-time Grammy winner presided over the stage true to form, showcasing her iconic femme rock swagger which was complemented by her sultry and visceral lyrics.

Visually arresting in her standard tailored blazer and jeans with heels, Crow roused the mixed crowd of fans and lukewarm attendees as she expertly transitioned between casual yet well-placed anecdotes about her personal life and classic hits like “If It Makes You Happy” and “All I Wanna Do”.

Among the seemingly reserved crowd of older couples, families and socialites that settled into the ballroom just after 9pm, none were immune to Crow’s charm, which had enthusiasts out of their seats and casual attendants bouncing rhythmically as she strutted, swayed and hair-whipped to the beat of the omnipresent drum.

Before travelling to the Bahamas, Crow attended the Grammy nomination concert which was held in Nashville, Tennessee, where the 50-year-old Missouri-native resides with her two sons, aged five and two. Both children, she said, made the Caribbean trip and fully enjoyed themselves at the resort’s water park. The singer joked that her children didn’t fully understand what she did for a living.

Last month, the cancer survivor teamed with former talk show host Larry King to raise $430,000 at a gala for a non-profit food assistance charity in San Diego.

On Saturday, Crow delivered a tight-knit, high-power performance that showcased not only her stage prowess as a multi-instrumentalist, but also the impressive skills she has learned as an entertainer.

During her rendition of “First Cut is the Deepest”, Crow reiterated a recent personal encounter with Yusuf Islam, whom many may recognise by his former stage name Cat Stevens.

A British singer-songwriter turned Islam convert and decorated humanitarian, Yusuf Islam penned the single “The First Cut Is the Deepest” in 1967, and released the original version on his album “New Masters” that same year. Since then, four noted musicians have covered the song to widespread individual success, with Sheryl Crow’s 2003 version going platinum and becoming one of her biggest radio hits, garnering her first Top 40 hit single and a Grammy nod.

Crow confided to the Atlantis audience that Yusuf had told her over dinner that her cover made him rethink secular music.

Crow also treated the audience to a new song called “Ride Shotgun” from her upcoming album. Scheduled to drop fall 2013, Crow has referred to this album as her official foray into country music.

With Fender last month releasing a limited edition replica of her main guitar, a 1969 Custom Telecaster, and her new country album set to reinvigorate the genre, Crow is far from slowing down in her musical career. Stay tuned, Crow said to the scores of newfound believers who crowded the stage and surrounding walkways at Atlantis during her encore performance. She told them: “Baby, you can ride shotgun”.