P!nk’s Summer Carnival 2023-Houston, September 27

P!nk’s Summer Carnival 2023-Houston, September 27

By

Leonard Zwelling

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/music/article/pink-houston-show-summer-carnival-minute-maid-park-18393556.php

Don’t blame me if you missed it. I told you to buy tickets months ago. Now that the Ringling Brothers circus is no more, this is the greatest show on Earth. Alecia Beth Moore Hart (aka P!nk) was in town again Wednesday night and the BW and I saw her for the fourth time. As always, she never disappoints. The Summer Carnival 2023 tour has been all over the world and finally made its Houston stop with Brandi Carlisle as the opener.

It is difficult to describe this show or any P!nk show.

First off, she has a powerful, rich voice and writes great pop songs. She also is a great curator of the songs of others like Bob Dylan, Prince, and Sade. All were in evidence on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park, not the ideal venue to see her, but since she filled the 44,000 seats, can NRG Stadium be next? The sound system at Minute Maid can barely handle the volume without distortion and the mixing guys had the bass turned way up. How far up? It hit you in the chest.

Second, she is a fabulous dancer who really loves to entertain.

Third, she has a glowing addictive personality that fills a ball park and captures the crowd from the very first note when she burst from huge red lips to “Get This Party Started,” her constant opener.

Fourth, she has a fantastically tight band that has rehearsed and rehearsed and then played all over the world. They have every note down.

Fifth, the computer-generated graphics on the huge screens are part of the act. Minute Maid Park is so vast that the centerfield stage was a good distance even from our floor seats. P!nk has a flawless video crew that keeps you in the action with many close-ups.

Sixth, this is a Vegas-like show with scantily-clad dancers, acrobats, and choreography that is overwhelming to the senses. There is a lot going on all of the time and P!nk is in the middle of it for the entire two hours. In her title cut from her new album, Trustfall, her acrobats were diving off a staircase into trampolines and bouncing back up—in perfect unison. Amazing!

Seventh, her exuberance for performing is like a life force even bringing her 11-year-old daughter out to do a number with her.

Finally, there’s the flying. P!nk is most famous for high in the air trapeze-like flying on long bungee cords above the stadium while singing upside down. No one should be able to do this, yet there it is. I’ve seen it four times and my mouth still drops every time. She even dropped head first straight toward us before the cords took her back aloft.

This blog has lauded P!nk many times over the last few years and this time even promoted this show to my readers ahead of time. I didn’t see any of you there, but maybe you were among my 44,000 closest new friends.

When she comes back, I highly suggest you buy tickets early, getting as close to the stage as you can afford, for these seats are pricey. I can assure you a “splendid time is guaranteed for all.” And remember, she’s 44-years-old. I am not certain for how much longer she will be able to fly, so if you can get to see her, do so. It’s worth every penny.

Dr. Zwelling’s new novel, Conflict of Interest: Money Drives Medicine and People Die is available at:

barnesandnoble.com,

on amazon if you search using the title and subtitle, 

and

directly from the publisher Dorrance at: https://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/conflict-of-interest-money-drives-medicine-and-people-die-pb/m