Rufus releases his stars

So I haven't been keeping up with the blogging as much as I sometimes have. Friday, however, I finally did something interesting again. I went to see Rufus Wainwright in concert at the Mann Center with openers A Fine Frenzy and Neko Case.

It was my second time seeing Rufus in concert, but I was particularly excited this time because the opening acts were more talented (I saw OK Go last time, ugh) and the Mann Center is a really cool to see concerts.

A Fine Frenzy, the stage name of singer-songwriter Alison Sudol and her band, are a good Coldplay-type band with some nice contemplative songs and a few more rousing ones.

Neko Case, whom I knew only slightly from hearing a concert of hers on NPR, was really amazing. She sings alternative country music that's actually thoughtful instead of just stupid, like a lot of country music (with a few exceptions - Lucinda Williams, Dolly Parton).

Rufus performing "Gay Messiah" in Judy Garland drag.

But the main act, Rufus, was absolutely amazing. He began around 9:20ish and played all the way through 11:55 with a short break for a costume change (haha). The most amazing thing about Rufus is his stamina! The last time I saw Rufus, in September 2005, he was recovering still from a cold, but this time he was in absolutely spectacular voice, belting out songs with little effort.

He played all of his most recent album, Release the Stars, and a lot of other songs from prior albums, as well as an Irish folk song and 3 Judy Garland songs. 

Most exciting was his encore, for which he came out in a bathrobe, only to reveal toward the end that he was wearing Judy Garland drag, a blazer on top and sexy black stockings below, with an effective Judy hat. He sang "Get Happy" from the movie Summer Stock, a staple in Ms. Garland's catalog, surrounded by his band members performing a choreographed dance. It was amazing. And then, in full Judy Garland drag, he finished off the night with "Gay Messiah." 

Fabulousness.