CD release party for Lara's new French album, NUE
It is Thursday now, and two days ago I met Lara for the fourth time in the short space of 15 months. I believe that I have sufficiently come down off cloud nine to recount the experience for you. Each successive time that I have encountered Lara in the flesh has been considerably more exciting and memorable...this last event reached dizzying heights! Thanks to my wonderful friend Gigi from Montreal and her "Fabian" fan family, my friend Pam, from Chicago, and my friend Alan from here in Boston, and I journeyed to Montreal on Tuesday to attend the CD release party for Lara's new French album, NUE, at the Rialto Studio in downtown Montreal. Gigi, Pam, and I each had VIP press passes for the occasion, while Alan was lucky enough to secure a fan pass from Suzanne who lives in New Brunswick...Merci mille fois, Suzanne! We arrived at 4:45 outside the studio to be greeted by much anticipation from the fans who had already lined up outside the theater. The marquee announced the event with large letters, and posters of the new CD were splashed all over the outside and lobby of the theater. As we entered the lobby, we noticed that a local television crew had set up cameras to record the arriving celebrities and local media personalities invited to the party. A festive air pervaded from the moment we entered the theater. Were we excited yet? you bet!!! Once inside the theater, we were greeted by the sound of something very familiar to us all...the VOICE, that glorious, all-encompassing, passionate, soothing, exciting voice of Lara as the new CD played over the sound system. It was our first exposure to NUE and we just stood there for the longest time listening to the songs, amazed at the purity and honesty issuing from Lara's voice as it poured forth from the speakers surrounding the theater. We agreed that each consecutive song was better than the last and felt confident that Lara has a HUGE hit on her hands. On the stage was a piano to the left and a divan on the right . In the center was a huge movie screen which projected a video of Lara that included scenes of her recording each of the songs on the new CD. We watched the video and listened to the songs as they continuously played on the sound system....Lara-heaven to be sure!!! Scenes of Lara doing photo shoots for the pictures that are included inside the CD were interspersed with Lara writing and then recording the songs in the studio, followed by Lara's international career over the past year-and-a-half...Lara on the Today Show...Miss America...Lara in Brazil...Germany....France....the movies A.I. and Final Fantasy....Flash from Montreal...Le Tapis Rouge from France....the Juno Awards in Toronto....the World Music Awards in Monaco, etc, etc.!!! FANTASTIC just to see how much work and success Lara has achieved in that period of her career alone. The theater was suddenly packed with print and television journalists from the major papers, magazines, and television markets in Quebec. Fans who had won tickets to the event through radio contests and call-ins were ushered into the upstairs balcony to see Lara perform. Each carried with them a copy of the CD and a huge poster of the cover of the CD. VIP pass holders were given a gorgeous press packet, a VIP identification tag to wear around their neck during the event, a beautiful invitation sent in the mail that was adorned with the butterfly logo which appears on the back of the CD cover, in addition to the CD and poster. Celebrities studded the audience as we awaited the concert appearance by Lara. Food and drinks were served to the audience while the crowd circulated amongst each other. I was able to speak with, get autographs from, and take photos with many of the celebrities....the glorious Ginette Reno, a legend in Quebec and a personal favorite of mine, Daniel Lavoie and Richard Marien, both of whom portrayed the priest in "Notre Dame de Paris", and Luck Mervil also in NDdeP. One word about Daniel Lavoie...he wrote a song for Lara on the new CD entitled "Je Suis Mon Coeur". Lara sand his song that evening during her concert ,and it proved to be the emotional musical highlight of the evening, just as it is on the new CD itself. More about that in a moment...much more!!!! I also spoke with every member of Lara's entourage that evening and was lucky enough to get autographs from each of them....from Rick Allison, who is truly such a wonderful man, Lise Richard, all of the band members, and Kim Richardson,one of Lara's superb back-up singers. All of them were more than friendly and made you feel part of the excitement surrounding the event. Rick told me something in answer to one of my questions, and, not knowing whether he would want this news repeated at this very moment, I shall keep it in confidence until the official announcement. But, I can say this....for those of you who live in the province of Quebec...your dream is about to materialize in the not too distant future. Lara made her entrance into the theater from a door on the left side of the stage. She was resplendent in a black two-piece black suit...a top that exposed her left shoulder, black pants, and open-toe high heels. Her hair was perfect....not straight, not really curled, but in the relaxed, slightly curled style. She wore a necklace with a butterfly hanging around her neck, and a simple but gorgeous, thin ring on one finger. Casual elegance personified....stunning in her simplicity....make-up applied to the point of non-existence. Can I be direct and to the point? She was divine!!!! Lara was interviewed by a local TV station for five minutes or so as cameras flashed incessantly from everywhere in the theater. I stood not more than two feet away from her and took photo after photo as the interview continued. The crowd downstairs moved closer to Lara in order to get a better view, as she acknowledged the screams of "On T'aime, Lara!" from the fans who lined the edge of the balcony above her and waved in adoration. Lara smiled, waved, and blew kisses to them as the interview continued. The video was still blazing on the screen, the songs on the new CD continued to spin on the loud speakers, and the ambience in the theater was electric! Was I excited still? More so than ever!!!! A few more interviews took place inside the theater before Lara was ushered into the backstage area. Rick Allison then walked onto the stage area to much applause, and he thanked the assembled crowd for coming to the event. He introduced Lara as she emerged from behind the curtain to an ovation of applause and bravos....that fabulous smile of hers assuring us that we were about to have a party with her that we would not forget. She acknowledged the crowd with many thank-yous and words of her pleasure to see us all here with her that evening. She then launched into her first song for the evening accompanied by her piano player and a playback of the music from the CD. Lara stood onstage and delivered a "J'y Crois Encore" that climaxed with a furious ovation from the audience. She nailed that song in an incredible interpretation that surpasses the recorded version on the CD. A wonderful omen for those lucky enough to see her concerts in Europe come this December. The passion in her voice sent shivers down your spine. The ovation illicited another of those magical smiles from Lara that transmitted throughout the theater. Lara's second song from the CD was "Silence", which she sang with that sexy look that she does so well...dancing around the stage with come-hither gazes. A wonderful up-tempo song that will work very well in concert. Okay, this is going to be difficult. I dreaded getting to this part. Excuse me beforehand since what happened next on that stage is not something most people are privy to in public. Lara, as we all know, went through a very difficult passage of a romantic nature in her life during the last two years. The pain and sadness of that experience came to the fore during this extremely emotional song...her third performance of the evening. Lara finished her second song and walked over to the divan on the right side of the stage. She sat down, put her arms on her knees, and lifted the microphone to her lips as the piano began the first mournful chords of the song written by Daniel Lavoie. Barely above a whisper, Lara sang in French..... I am afraid to forget I can't translate all of the lyrics since my French is a bit rusty at this point. The essence of the song is there. During the violin section of the song, Lara began to sob and cry, her face covered in her hands. The memories of what had passed seemed too strong for her to dismiss, and she let herself go into the music, the lyrics, and LIFE itself. When she lifted her face to continue the end of the song, tears streamed down her cheeks. The crowd was stunned, and silence in the theater pervaded. No one spoke, no one moved...eyes and ears riveted to the beautiful lady on the stage singing her heart and soul out for all to see and hear. A magical performance that combined music, passion, and emotions so deep that it hurt one-and-all. Lara finished the songs sobbing, while humming the melody in whispered tones. The large screen behind her could not help but indicate to the audience in larger than life size that this song was a personal journey for Lara. The song drifted in hushed tones to its conclusion...the audience stunned by what they had just observed. Lara sat on the divan for a long time, her face covered ,as the crowd gave her the most emotional ovation of the night. She waited a few moments or two before getting up off the divan and walking towards the back of the stage to wipe the tears from her eyes as the ovation continued. She stated..."I am such a crybaby at times...". Well, Lara, so were we that night. When it is real, honest, and heartfelt, let the tears flow. One feels much better afterwards. I will never forget this performance. It is etched forever in my mind. The song itself is a masterpiece and will stand alongside "Je Suis Malade", "Caruso", and "Broken Vow" as examples of definitive Lara interpretations for ages. A new instant classic!!! For the fourth and last song of the evening, Lara choose "Immortelle" from the new CD...she stated that this was her favorite song on the new CD." Singing the song with gusto, and with softness at the appropriate times, Lara slammed another home run out of the park and left the stage amidst pandemonium in the theater. As she walked past me at the edge of the stage, I gave her a present in a bag adorned with the butterfly motif in keeping with the CD graphics. She thanked me profusely and once again smiled that smile that sends me into ecstasy everytime. She returned to the audience in 10 minutes or so wearing a black outfit consisting of a strapless black top and puffy, black skirt down to the floor...much like the gown she wore on the Junos and the World Music Awards this year. She sat on the divan and invited everyone to come up to talk with her, have photos taken, or get something signed. She was in a jubilant spirit and radiated total love and affection to all who sat with her on the divan. Flashbulbs popped, hugs and kisses were much in evidence, heart-to-heart conversations ensued, and Lara enjoyed every minute that she got to share with her fans. When I sat next to her on the divan, She thanked me for coming from such a far away place as Boston. I would have come from Alaska or Madagascar if given the chance! Photos were taken of me, Gigi, and Lara. Gigi and Lara had a conversation about the recent on-going illness with her husband, and Lara appeared genuinely concerned about the health of a man she has known since her beginnings in Canada ten years ago. The chat session onstage with Lara continued for an hour or so. Lara then left the stage and mingled with the audience in small groups where much laughter and happiness was in order. She was having a truly wonderful time that i think she might have stayed the whole night if that were possible. But, she was leaving for Paris the next day. We left the party around 9 o'clock...four hours after having entered the theater at 5 o'clock....satiated from the whole experience and pinching ourselves to make sure that it really had happened. I met some new friends that evening who are a part of the worldwide "Fabian" family....Jacques and Marcel from Montreal, Val and Anou from France, Suzanne from New Brunswick, and Hezia from Switzerland. It was a pleasure to be among such fine individuals and to now count them as friends. Almost forgot...I was interviewed on a local Montreal TV channel that evening and responded to the question as to why I had travelled all the way from Boston to be at the party in these words..."Pour Lara...nimporte quoi pour Lara!". "For Lara....anything for Lara!". Conrad Pepin, fan in the USA TRANSLATE |
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