Rufus Wainwright & Belinda Carlisle in Paris à Go-Go: New Year’s Eve in Paris at the Disney Hall
It was a Francophile’s New Year’s celebration dream come true at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Rufus Wainwright and Belinda Carlisle, backed by a team of cabaret dancers, performed a set of songs inspired by their favorite French artists and the City of Lights. It has been an extremely busy year for Rufus Wainwright who put out two LPs, Release the Stars and a live album of his tribute to Judy Garland. His whirlwind tour schedule included several festival dates including Coachella. Wainwright, who spent much of his youth in Montreal, is currently working on a French language opera. Hollywood native and LA punk scene’s original “It Girlâ€, Belinda Carlisle, who now resides in Provence released an all French recording simply titled Voila. It marks her first album in over ten years.
The highlight of the evening was the finale, a performance of Go-Go’s hit Our Lips Are Sealed by Belinda and Rufus, sung–what else but–entirely in French. Belinda encouraged the crowd to join in but realized it may be difficult since it was en Français. To help her dance for the song, Rufus helped take Belinda’s shoes off at her request. As he took off her heels he placed one of them to his nose and took a good sniff. (Since this was the early show I hoped Rufus didn’t repeat this mistake for the second finale.) Ever the charmer, Rufus then joked to the crowd that the experience has turned him straight. Don’t worry Rufus, our lips are sealed.
Setlists
Belinda Carlisle (all songs in French):
Sous le Ciel de Paris
Pourtant Tu M’Aimes
Avec Le Temps
La Vie en Rose
JezebelRufus Wainwright (in French and English):
Leaving for Paris
Moon Over Miami
A Paris
La Complainte de la Butte
Minuit Chretien
Bonnie & ClydeBand only instrumental:
I Love Paris
Indifference
The Last Time I Saw ParisBelinda Carlisle and Rufus Wainwright finale (in French):
Our Lips Our Sealed
