Rufus Wainwright & Belinda Carlisle in Paris à Go-Go: New Year’s Eve in Paris @ Walt Disney Concert Hall, December 31, 2007

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Notes:

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 Girl,” 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 Francais. 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.  

Setlist:

Belinda Carlisle (all songs in French):
1) Sous le Ciel de Paris
2) Pourtant Tu M’aimes
3) Avec Le Temps
4) La Vie en Rose
5) Jezebel

Rufus Wainwright (in French and English):
6) Leaving for Paris
7) Moon Over Miami
8) A Paris La Complainte de la Butte
9) Minuit Chretien
10) Bonnie & Clyde

Band only instrumental:
11) I Love Paris
12) Indifference
13) The Last Time I Saw Paris

Belinda Carlisle and Rufus Wainwright finale (in French):
14) Our Lips Our Sealed