Music Reviews

Album Review: Josh Groban - 'Awake Live'

By Jeff Swindoll May 13, 2008, 10:52 GMT

Following the best-selling album of 2007-the #1 Pop, quadruple-platinum Noël-singer, Josh Groban headlines a new CD+DVD set, featuring live versions of several of his hits plus appearances by Angelique Kidjo and Lucia Micarelli. Filmed in 2007 in Salt Lake City, in honor of his first arena concert, which was held in the same city where he performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics closing ceremonies, Awake Live raises up ever higher ...more

Josh Groban performs his double platinum album ‘Awake’ live in this concert at Salt Lake City’s EnergySolutions Arena.  It sounds like everyone had a good time from the crowd reaction on the CD side of things. 

As with other concert releases this one provides both a CD of a selection of nine songs from the show and also has a 106 minute DVD of the concert.  The CD has tracks from the album, including “Mai,” “February Song,” and (of course) “Awake” performed live to an appreciative audience.  Groban also performs “Pearls” with Angelique Kidjo and it’s quite a number. 

The DVD has him performing with Lucia Micarelli (“Aurora” and “Kashmir”) but those tunes don’t make it to the CD.  I guess that’s why it’s always nice to get the concert on DVD since some performances don’t make it onto the CD (space reasons I suppose).

Groban performs with a great deal of energy and it’s accentuated and retuned by the live audience.  Surely, this set will save you the cost of gas (who can afford that nowadays?), a flight to Salt Lake, and the admission cost.  His fans can enjoy this set while they await his return to the studio for another album.