Late start, new approach disappoint Lauryn Hill fans at Oakland concert According to San Francisco Chronicle, the public meltdown of Lauryn Hill, which has been apparent for five years, moved further into the realm of the bizarre Wednesday night during a late-starting sold-out show at Oakland's Paramount Theatre.
Aural audience response was divided between cheers and boos. Others sat and stood in silence, their mouths agape at what they were hearing and seeing.
At one point during the show, the singer tripped and fell, landing flat on her backside. "That's what I get for wearing high heels," she said as she rose to her feet. A raspy tone, cracked notes, clipped phrases and melismas that meandered painfully off pitch demonstrated just how badly Hill's once-commanding pipes have deteriorated. Some concertgoers who had paid as much as $89.50 for tickets were requesting refunds even before Hill hit the stage -- two hours and 15 minutes after the concert's scheduled 7:30 start and 80 minutes after the opening act, Jupiter Rising, had finished its set.
Other patrons left during the first song entrance.
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