Brave Enough At The Variety

In the DVD, Bareilles says that her Brave Enough tour is intended to document the raw and vulnerable solo recitals of her recent concerts. It features the artist without a backing band. She accompanies herself on piano and guitar. The DVD and CD are taken from her May 20, 2013 performance at Atlanta's Variety Playhouse. Performances include hits from her previous albums and support her most recent release "The Blessed Unrest."

Singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles wrote her current hit "Brave" to encourage a close friend to come out. It's a beautiful anthem about the difficulty of owning who you are matched with words of courageous support. The title song and other favorites such as "Uncharted," a haunting performance of "Let the Rain," and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" are sung with intense sincerity (and are long-winded due to the nature of live performance). This is a treat for Bareille's fans and a prime example of skilled musicality for students to study.

The DVD captures Bareilles charm in ways that the CD cannot. The camera is often directly in her face to record her performance quirks and charisma that oozes into the audience. The CD is best appreciated after the DVD is experienced.

DVD and CD share the same performance tracks. The CD strips the between-song banter from the full performance and instead focuses on the musical performances. To achieve the effect of hearing the DVD performance as if it were a CD, simply play the DVD and look away.

"Brave Enough: Live at the Variety Playhouse"
Sara Bareilles
$10.99
CD/DVD combo
Sarabmusic.com/epicrecords.com