w/ the Buggles | 8:00pm | 1400 Market St. | All ages | $46.50 – $226.50
I have a distinct memories of hearing Seal’s “Crazy” on an episode of Baywatch. I Googled it to be sure my mind isn’t playing tricks, and sure enough, the song released in 1990 was featured in TV shows, movies, pretty much all over the place. For a while there, you couldn’t get away from Seal if you tried. “Kiss From a Rose” was immortalized by the Batman Forever soundtrack, and the rest of Seal’s second album, Seal II, was hits from start to finish. Even Seal himself was embarrassed by all the attention that song got him, but it succeeded in making him a household name for years.
One song from that hit-making album that never saw mainstream attention, “If I Could,” is one of my favorites of his—a mostly overlooked collaboration with Joni Mitchell. Though she is not listed in the credits, Mitchell joins Seal for a gorgeous duet, and apparently the two have been friends for ages. There are actually a lot of hidden gems among Seal’s catalog, including collaborations and treatments of jazz standards and soul classics. While Seal II was his biggest commercial hit, the album that followed is a personal favorite—Human Being—and he’s actually continued to release a total of seven studio albums, which are worth exploring.
Given this expansive catalog, curiosity got the better of me and I violated my usual anti-spoiler policy: I peeked at Seal’s current setlist. And the lineup is positively thrilling. Billed as a 30th anniversary tour “Celebrating 30 years of the classic albums Seal I and Seal II,” it includes hits as well as some deep cuts. His voice really shines when he gives it some room to roam and reaches for those high notes. Judging by this list, we’re going to cover a lot of vocal territory on Friday. Billed as a Greatest Hits tour, I am going to agree with many of the selections here. I could honestly listen to Seal sing a gum commercial and be entertained, but this is going to be a treat for newbies as well as diehard fans. Several locations have sold out, and we are lucky to have him here. | Courtney Dowdall
Seal on tour:
05.24.23 | NEW YORK, NY | BEACON THEATRE with Buggles
05.26.23 | ST LOUIS, MO | STIFEL THEATRE with Buggles
05.27.23 | CHICAGO, IL | THE CHICAGO THEATRE with Buggles
05.30.23 | DENVER, CO | BELLCO THEATRE with Buggles
06.02.23 | LAS VEGAS, NV | THE VENETIAN THEATRE with Buggles
06.03.23 | LAS VEGAS, NV | THE VENETIAN THEATRE with Buggles
06.06.23 | OAKLAND, CA | PARAMOUNT THEATRE-OAKLAND with Buggles
06.07.23 | LOS ANGELES, CA | THE GREEK THEATRE with Buggles
06.10.23 | PORTLAND, OR | KELLER AUDITORIUM with Buggles
06.12.23 | SEATTLE, WA | PARAMOUNT THEATRE with Buggles
06.14.23 | VANCOUVER, BC | THE ORPHEUM with Buggles
07.07.23 | MARBELLA, SPAIN | STARLITE MARBELLA.23
07.09.23 | ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS | NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL
07.12.23 | MONTREUX, SWITZERLAND | MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL
07.14.23 | AARHUS C, DENMARK | SUMMER SESSION: TIVOLI FRIHEDEN
07.16.23 | MONACO, MONACO | SALLE DES ÉTOILES
09.08.23 | BRUSSELS, BELGIUM | CIRQUE ROYAL
09.10.23 | MARMARIS, TÜRKIYE | BIG ART FESTIVAL
09.12.23 | LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM | LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL
09.13.23 | SHEFFIELD, UNITED KINGDOM | CITY HALL
09.14.23 | WOLVERHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM | WOLVERHAMPTON CIVIC HALL
09.16.23 | MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM | OPERA HOUSE MANCHESTER
09.17.23 | LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM | THE LONDON PALLADIUM
09.19.23 | PARIS, FRANCE | SALLE PLEYEL
