The Memphis Blues Tour was the eleventh concert tour by American recording artist Cyndi Lauper, in support of her eleventh studio album. The tour visited the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe. During the trek, Lauper performed at numerous jazz festivals including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Jazz à Vienne and Jazz Fest Wien. In the fall of 2011, Lauper continued the tour as a co-headlining show with Dr. John titled From Memphis to Mardi Gras.[1] Lauper performed over a hundred concerts beginning in June 2010 and ending in November 2011.
Background
Lauper announced the tour in April 2010 via her official website.[2] The singer stated the show will focus heavily on the blues sound of her album alongside her past hits.[3] The tour was designed to be an intimate tour. mimicking the jazz culture of the 1920s. Lauper wanted the show to emulate hearing good music in a "smoky cafe". While on tour, concertgoers were able to donate to charities supported by the singer including the Give a Damn Foundation. Lauper was joined on tour by Charlie Musselwhite and Allen Toussaint, who helped contribute to the making of her recent album. While on tour in Japan, Lauper concerts occurred during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. Although the singer was urged to leave the island, Lauper stayed and continued to perform her shows as scheduled.[4] She donated the funds from her shows to help relief efforts. In Argentina, Lauper gave an impromptu performance of her hit "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" at the Aeroparque Jorge Newbery.[5]
"Lead Me On" was often performed in lieu of "Down So Low".
"The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" was not included during the performances at the Harpa Concert Hall, Stora Salongen, and Vognsbølparken.
"Fearless" was performed in lieu of "The World Is Stone" during concerts at the Harpa Concert Hall, Symphony Hall and the Colston Hall.
"Don't Cry No More" was included in the performances at L'Olympia and the Kaufleuten.
During the concert at the Harpa Concert Hall, Lauper performed "Mother Earth".
During the concert at the Stora Salongen, Lauper performed "How Blue Can You Get". The song was also included during the performances at the Vognsbølparken, Bridgewater Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and the Sheffield City Hall.
During the concert at the Stora Salongen, Lauper performed "Sally's Pigeon". The song was also included during the performances at the Kaufleuten, Arena Civica, Laeiszhalle and the Admiralspalast.
During the concert at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Lauper performed "Wild Mountain Thyme" in lieu of "The World Is Stone".
During the concert at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Lauper performed "Kindred Spirit".
During the concert at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo, Lauper performed "Carey". During the same concert, Lauper performed "Mother Earth".
During the concert at the Plaça del Mercat, Lauper performed "Down So Low". The song was also included during the performance at the Trinidad Square.
During the concert at City Hall, Lauper performed "Who Let In The Rain".
North America—Leg 3
From Memphis to Mardi Gras Tour (with Dr. John)
"Just Your Fool"
"Shattered Dreams"
"She Bop"
"Crossroads"
"All Through the Night"
"Lead Me On"
"Don't Cry No More"
"The Goonies 'R' Good Enough"
"Change of Heart"
"What's Going On"
"Lyfe"
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
"Time After Time"
Encore
"True Colors"
Notes
"Down So Low" was performed in place of "Lead Me On" on night where Charlie Musslewhite was present
"Down Don't Bother Me" was performed on a few select dates
"What's Going On" and "Lyfe" were not always performed due to curfew restrictions
Beginning in Red Bank, New Jersey, Cyndi performed a duet with Dr. John during his set. These songs varied between "Makin Whoopee", "Wang Dang Doodle" and "Glory Glory Hallelujah!"
On certain nights, special a cappella songs were performed like "Fearless", "Sallys Pigeons" and "Hat Full of Stars"
Lauper's performance during Jazz á Vienne was broadcast on live on French radio station France Inter. The show omitted "All Through the Night", with "Cross Road Blues" and "Down So Low" not broadcast in full.
A DVD/ CD of her performance on December 2, 2010 at The Warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee was released in October 2011 and was titled "Cyndi Lauper To Memphis, with Love." It was a unique film with documentary footage but included the performances of the entire set list of the show that night. The package includes a booklet that looked like a concert program with photos from the Memphis show in particular but also photos of Cyndi and her band in various places on the Memphis Blues tour.
Critical reception
The tour was praised by music critics and concertgoers. Katherine Feeny (Brisbane Times) gave the pop singer's concert at the QPAC Concert Hall four out of five stars. She says, "It's just one of example of her ability to endear herself to the room, an ability testament to her skill and experience. So too is Lauper's lack of need for showy stage and lighting. The sheer scale and gutsy thrust of her vocal range coupled with a dynamic presence more than fills the stage".[51] Michael Dwyer (The Sydney Morning Herald) gave the singer three and a half out of five stars. He writes, "Maybe the subtleties between thought and expression are redundant when a Broadway dynamo in a leather pantsuit is prowling the theatre, standing on chairs and bellowing that 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'. But when she hit the right blend of power and soul—such as with Robert Johnson's Cross Roads Blues—Lauper channelled something more profound".[52]
The praise for the tour continued as Lauper began to perform in England. Kate Watkins (City Life) gave the performance at the Bridgewater Hall four out of five stars. She explains, "The night ended with a sombre performance of 'True Colors' which showcased the depth and feeling of her vocals which have only improved since she started singing the Blues".[53] Catherine Meek (The Argus) gave the concert at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall a positive review. She states, "Whether she was singing a track from her most recent album, 'Memphis Blues', with full backing, or a solo of an old favourite with nothing but the microphone and her dulcimer, Lauper's voice bellowed harmony".[54]
^Harrison, Shane (5 August 2010). "Weekend best bets: Aug. 6-9". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
^ ab"PROGRAMA PORTA FERRADA 2011" [Porta Ferrada Program 2011] (PDF). Web Oficial de l'Ajuntament de Sant Feliu de Guíxols (in Spanish). Archived from the original(PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
