Both Elliott Smith and Celine Dion’s live performances are incredibly captivating and both have a number of unique qualities that make them appealing. While watching both performances I almost felt as if I was sitting in the auditorium due to each singers ability to connect to the audience. I definitely enjoyed watching the live performances more than the official videos due to the higher level of emotion.
I found Elliott Smith’s performance appealing mostly due to the song and his voice. He connected with the audience through his music and guitar as opposed to using body language, movement, and enthusiasm. This was the first time I heard his song, “Miss Misery”, which I found very relaxing. One thing I found interesting was that Elliot Smith rarely looked up at the audience. He seemed to really connect with the lyrics and you could tell he was experiencing the memories and feelings that his lyrics are associated with while performing.
What I enjoyed most about Celine Dion’s performance was her passion and body language. Her song, “My Heart Will Go On”, which is very well known from the film Titanic has so much emotion associated with it. Celine Dion was able to really connect with the crowd by using powerful gestures with her arms and body. Her performance was energetic and full of life. I found the live orchestra and fog appealing because it gave the performance a magical and even supernatural feel. Like Elliot Smith, there were a number of times throughout the performance when Celine would close her eyes and really connect with the lyrics and express the passion associated with the song. All in all both performances were very well done and enjoyable to watch.