A garden of sequins, fringe and cowboy hats welcomed Jessie Ware to The Warfield theater Oct. 16. Fans showed up and out for the British disco star’s Superbloom Tour, rightfully turning one stop in San Francisco into a two-night residency due to high ticket demands.
When opener Dhruv teased the crowd, saying “You’re in for a treat,” he should’ve also alerted attendees that it was about to get hot and heavy. Ware’s set served up an orgy of fabulousness, lust and vulnerability. From countless costume changes to ethereal power ballads to a suggestive moment with a banana, it was a night of discotheque extravagance that left The Warfield breathless.
From the get-go, Ware flexed her flair for drama. As the stage platform rotated, she emerged from behind a shell-shaped screen and plunged straight into the sweeping “Superbloom.” She then introduced her crew of dancers, including Jonathon Luke Baker, Belen Leroux and Cooper Terry, who each had a garden-themed nickname. Donning a fern-patterned dress and leafy headdress, Ware looked like a Greek goddess, declaring, “Tonight, my name is Mother Nature!”
Ware flowed into “Pearls,” prompting the audience with: “Are you ready to dance with us?” followed quickly by the cacophony of pearl-cladded concertgoers eager to move with the singer. She continued with hits from breakout disco pop album What’s Your Pleasure?, adding nonstop fuel to the dance floor by melting one song into the next. Audience members flapped their large fans in the air, punctuating their dancing and quelling the rising heat. They came prepared to move as her sound, characterized by pulsing bass lines and euphoric vocals, reliably evoked the glitz and groove of Studio 54.
As glamorous as she was, Ware also exposed the more soulful parts of her discography. The stage was stripped bare of flashy lighting to feature Ware’s vocal prowess during her rendition of “What You Won’t Do For Love” by Bobby Caldwell. Then, as Baker gracefully poured champagne into her glass, she painted a sultry picture of betrayal with “Don’t You Know Who I Am?” Her raw voice prowled through The Warfield. Seemingly rejuvenated by the champagne, Ware strutted backstage for a quick change.
On top of her already impressive list of talents, she has an eye for hiring truly sexy dancers. Baker, Leroux and Terry supported Ware during racier parts of the show. At the end of “Mr Valentine,” Baker stared out into the crowd and ate — no, deepthroated — a banana. When Ware returned in a black dress with slits running from ankle to hip, the dancers threw themselves at each other, doing handstands with their legs spread and body rolling with their hands in each others’ pockets. By this time, many men in the audience had taken their shirts off, and the dancers onstage soon followed suit, revealing harnesses and collars for “Hot N Heavy.”
They continuously upped the ante, helping a lucky man from the audience in a light-up cowboy hat atop a saddle for a quick “Ride.” By the end of “What’s Your Pleasure?” Ware, wielding a bull whip, became the dominatrix of The Warfield. Beneath flashing red lights, she mimed choking Leroux and her mares Baker and Terry steamily kissed center stage, leaving nothing to the audience’s imagination.
Ware sure knew how to put on a titillating performance, but she remained candid throughout the night, joking that she worried about spitting “like Jonathan Groff” while sipping from her mug. She came closer during “Wildest Moments” by taking a lap through the crowd, after which she quipped, “Whoo! I got my steps in.”
The concert landed just a day after her 42nd birthday, which prompted a choral “Happy Birthday” from the audience. In just one night, Ware performed the many facets of being a middle-aged woman — ethereal, raw, sexual, soft. She sang the uplifting “Begin Again,” reflecting, “Is this my life?” Yes it is, Jessie, and it’s fabulous.
Ware’s parting gift to The Warfield was “Free Yourself.” As she poured joy and catharsis into the hall, I too freed myself from my notebook and pen and threw my hands into the air.