Susanna Hoffs made a trip to the East Coast for a couple of intimate performances, including one at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut on Saturday night. In a stripped-down setting, the singer presented new songs from her upcoming solo album, as well as a few classics from her legendary band The Bangles.
With no opening act on the bill, Hoffs took the stage shortly after 8 p.m., joined by current songwriting partners Ryan Lerman (acoustic guitar) and CJ Camerieri (piano, trumpet). She kicked off the show with the Prince-penned Bangles hit “Manic Monday,” much to the delight of the audience, and followed up with another Bangles favorite, “In Your Room.”
At the piano, Camerieri served as the evening’s emcee of sorts, helping to introduce the new songs with his deep booming speaking voice that would fit seamlessly on FM radio, with Hoffs offering her own insight, as well. One of the new tunes played early on was “None of Them Were You,” written about Hoffs’ various boyfriends through the years, ultimately leading to her longtime marriage to husband Jay Roach.
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Other new songs included “Casablanca,” “Bad Case of Loneliness,” “Sometimes You Gotta Learn Your Lesson Twice,” and “Good Luck.” With Hoffs playing these tunes for the first time on this East Coast trip, she had a couple of stops and starts as she peered the lyrics on a music stand, but the minor hiccups added to the endearing quality of the performance.
At one point, Hoffs took questions from the audience, with one fan asking which of her music videos is her favorite. When Hoffs mentioned “Hazy Shade of Winter,” someone yelled, “Play it!,” prompting Hoffs and company to perform the Bangles’ Simon & Garfunkel cover earlier in their set than anticipated.
A couple songs later, Hoffs told the story of The Bangles visiting Graceland, and how that experience inspired her to co-write the band’s hit ballad “Eternal Flame,” which she then sang beautifully.
While Hoffs sang without playing guitar for the main set, she strapped on an acoustic guitar for the encore, performing heavenly renditions of Michael Nesmith’s Monkees classic “Different Drum” and the Bob Dylan-penned Nico song “I’ll Keep It with Mine” to close out the concert.
Somehow, Hoffs has barely aged in the 40-plus years since The Bangles first came on the scene, and her voice sounded as angelic as ever throughout the show. The stellar accompaniment by Lerman and Camerieri added to a truly enjoyable evening.
Setlist:
Manic Monday (The Bangles)
In Your Room (The Bangles)
Casablanca
None of Them Were You
Hero Takes a Fall (The Bangles)
Sometimes You Gotta Learn Your Lesson Twice
Hazy Shade of Winter (The Bangles)
Bad Case of Lonliness
Eternal Flame (The Bangles)
Good Luck
It’s My Time
Sitting in Limbo (Jimmy Cliff cover)
Different Drum (Michael Nesmith/Monkees cover)
I’ll Keep It With Mine (Bob Dylan/Nico cover)