Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)First off, Sarah is gorgeous. She looks beautiful, her singing is lovely, and her songs are as elegant as ever. The concert looked like it was a highly entertaining evening. Unfortunately, my head's still reeling from the super-choppy, over-stylized filming/editing. What the director, Russell Thomas, was going for was a 'high-energy, cool' feel, but what he ended up with was a botched presentation that confuses and bewilders (and not to mention nauseates those of us easily prone to motion-sickness, myself included). This DVD suffers from the same mistreatment that Sheryl Crow's "C'mon America" endured.
I LOVED Mirrorball, and one of the things I loved most about it was the way it was filmed. The pace of changes between camera angles felt appropriate and well-timed with the laid-back vibe of Sarah's music, and the focus was always on Sarah. That's pretty much the complete opposite of the way the director mishandles this wonderful concert. The camera rarely lingers longer than 5 seconds from any particular angle. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't blur the camera or swirl it around on purpose for 'added effect' (I had a reaction to it but I don't think motion sickness was the effect they were hoping for). Within any given 20 seconds, the camera will blur, clear, zoom in on Sarah's mouth, change to focus on Sarah's hands, move out into the crowd, change back to a shot of the band, then go back to Sarah. There is a fine line between style and overkill, and that line is crossed on this DVD.
What feel you get is less "high energy" and more "ADHD." With no real feeling of centeredness (due to the constant zooms, blurs, camera changes, constant movement, etc.), you don't get a chance to appreciate Sarah's stage presence and charisma. She could be giving you the performance of a lifetime but you wouldn't know it because the camera's too busy filming away at her toe, the bass player's guitar pick, and the crowd. I also didn't get a sense of placement because of all the quick changes between angles. The abuse of excessive changes of camera angles isn't as bad as what happened on Sheryl Crow's "C'mon America," but saying something was less nauseating to watch than that DVD is like saying a movie was less boring than watching the formation of glaciers. (Note: To Sheryl Crow fans out there, I love Ms. Crow and I'm not saying her performance was atrocious. Like Sarah, she shined and gave the concert performance of a lifetime, but the actual editing of her DVD is what I have issue with, much like in this case, since both singers derserve better.)
Sound quality seemed good, as I had no complaints, but I'm not a sound buff, so I'm not sure how the DVD sounds playing from high-end equipment. What I do know is that it sounded fine playing from my television and computer stereos.
Actual video quality seems to be a step up from Mirrorball as far as video noise is concerned, since it's noticably less grainy, but it's not crystal clear by any means. Video noise (graininess) is particuarly noticable in long shots. Along with that, when the camera moves too quickly, motion artifacts (blurring) are apparent.
Aside from this, Sarah and her band performed in top-notch form. Despite my complaints against the filming, watching this concert makes me wish I had gone to see her live when she was touring earlier this year. When the camera lingers on Sarah, the shots are lovely. Lighting is warm, atmospheric, and ambiant, and the songs are performed in true McLachlan fashion. Her live performances are generally better than her studio stuff, and this concert is absolutely no exception. She and her band look like they're having a blast and are enjoying themselves on-stage, and that energy definitely comes across -- without the help of the psycho camera work, which actually *detracts* from their energy.
In a nutshell: 1. As far as actual direction and filming, Mirrorball's filmwork and editing is superior to Afterglow Live. 2. Afterglow Live's sound and video quality seem better than its predecessor, however. 3. Sarah's performance is just as good (if not better) on Afterglow Live as it was on Mirrorball. 4. Yes, despite the botched presentation, it's still worth buying.
It's just baffling why someone would want to film and portray Sarah in typical "rock star, seizure-inducing" style. Courtney Love? Sure. Sarah McLachlan? No. If the camera work had been handled a little more maturely and the style elements had been worked in in a more subtle, nuanced manner, it would have been a success. Sarah is not a rock star, and when you film her like one, it's just weird. She deserves a director who understands her style of music and will rise to the challenge of complementing her style (laid-back yet passionate, all at the same time) instead of taking the easy way out with camera tricks.
Regardless... Sarah delivers a bravura performance, and the 4 stars from this review are a credit completely to her and her band.
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Afterglow Live (CD/DVD)This amazing CD/DVD set of live material from Sarah's "Afterglow" tour in the Summer of 2004 includes 23 tracks on the DVD and 15 on the CD.
Click here for more information about Afterglow Live (CD/DVD)
