Sade show is self-contained wonderland

Sade Adu leads her band during a Friday, July 8, performance at Conseco Fieldhouse. (Credit: Bob Scheer / Metromix)

Many musicians advise audiences to seal off the outside world and have fun during concerts.

Sade executed a rarer feat Friday night at Conseco Fieldhouse, where the London-based band transported its fans to a different world -- a wonderland of captivating vocals and irresistible grooves.

The band, led by singer Sade Adu, treated an estimated crowd of 7,000 to two hours of smooth-R&B escapism.

And when a dose of reality-based social commentary -- the 1992 song "Pearls" -- interrupted a string of love stories, it maximized the detour's impact.

"There is a woman in Somalia scraping for pearls on the roadside," Adu sang. "There's a force stronger than nature that keeps her alive."

While Adu was the night's star attraction, inventive stage design nearly stole the show.

A video-screen depiction of the sun rose and fell behind Adu during "Pearls," and she was the only thing on the stage thanks to trap doors that allowed her band mates and their instruments to disappear.

In contrast, the stage resembled an ultra-cool supper club during a rendition of "Is It a Crime" -- with red drapes providing scenery for Adu to chew in the tradition of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.

Describing her love as being wider than Victoria Lake and taller than the Empire State Building, Adu's voice became a bold trumpet to complement the saxophone riffs of Stuart Matthewman.

"Crime" (from 1985 album "Promise") distinguished itself as one of two towering peaks on the 22-song program, with the other being "Jezebel" (also taken from "Promise").

A combination of silhouettes, spotlights and previously recorded footage of the musicians added up to a fascinating how-did-they-do-that viewing experience during "Jezebel." Vocally, Adu was at her smokiest while black-and-white images showed her throat muscles at work.

Yet Friday's performance appeared to be no chore for the attractive native of Nigeria who moved to England at age 4.

She shared a wide, authentic smile after opening number "Soldier of Love," and she promised the night would make up for the 10-year gap since her last local appearance.

Her first of a handful of outfits featured black pants and a gauzy black shirt (with spangled cuffs on her forearms and a black camisole underneath).

Adu playfully smooched her microphone at the end of more than one song, including the thematically appropriate "Kiss of Life."

The video for "Kiss" represented a garden dream of Adu frolicking in greenery. She expanded her vocal range to its fullest on the number, seemingly touching the boundaries of smoky and bright at the same time.

No video was shown at the back of the stage during "In Another Time," which was presented in the casual context of an after-hours jam.

Adu sat on a stool next to keyboard player Andrew Hale, while Paul Denman manned an upright bass. Solos glided effortlessly from guitarist to guitarist to Matthewman on sax.

"They don't know what to do with something so good," sang Adu, who dedicated "Time" to anyone who's been undervalued.

For Sade and Friday's audience, adoration traveled two ways and nothing was held back.