It was with grace and pleasure that Montrealer Elle Barbara performed at the Rialto on Saturday, 27 September, opening for U.S. Girls, to present a bouquet of inspired compositions and covers.
The artist (formerly Jeff Barbara) and her musicians joined their fans for an uninhibited performance full of self-deprecating humour, at times bordering on burlesque.
Dressed in a tight-fitting pastel jumpsuit and sporting long brown hair, Elle revisited her disco-pop repertoire, sometimes psychedelic, with great humour. She placed particular emphasis on songs from her latest album, Word On The Street. In this context, Elle created a performance in which she marries herself!
Also a videographer, she accompanied the song “Hitler, Satan & Associates LLP” with images of her own creation. The songs “Justice Complice,” “Caramelized Onions,” “BBQ All-Dressed” and “Word on The Swing” were also combined with certain reinterpretations, including a very sensual version of “Beat It” that brought smiles to the audience’s faces. Finally, she gave a nod to Délice Créole remixed, for an evening full of rhythm and colour where the avant-garde took centre stage!
