Last month's Fox TV production of Grease Live! was remarkable for its polish. Its cast of young stars hit their marks and their notes so precisely that it seemed they'd rehearsed for a solid year.
Playing the sympathetic beauty school dropout, Frenchy, 30-year-old Canadian songstress Carly Rae Jepsen stood out among her Grease cohorts. And when she stopped at Dallas House of Blues on Friday night to headline a pop concert, she displayed the same mix of professionalism and likability.
To paraphrase a lyric from a hit Jepsen performed toward the end of her show Friday, the packed house really, really, really, liked her. But that song ("I Really Like You") and the singer's other monster viral hit, 2012's "Call Me Maybe," weren't even the strongest tunes delivered at HOB.
Backed by a serviceable four-piece band and an array of lighting effects, Jepsen stepped into a kind of 1980s time warp on stage. Endlessly catchy tracks from last year's full-length album, Emotion, established throwback vibes and the former Canadian Idol finalist built on them with every movement.
Jepsen is no soul diva, of course — she's got strong enough pipes to belt a high note when needed, but her voice is better designed for bubblegum pop. She knows that well and writes songs to her own strengths. And she maintains eye-contact with fans, which is surprisingly something a lot of her contemporaries don't do enough.
More photos from the show
Working through winning upbeat tunes like the epic show opener "Run Away With Me" and the extremely catchy love jam "Your Type," Jepsen evoked the spirit of Pat Benatar or Madonna in their early brilliance. She's scrappy and shrewd enough to make better singers look boring by comparison.
Admittedly, there were moments during Friday's show when the performances sounded a little too similar to their recordings. Was Jepsen lip-syncing? It was impossible to be certain. That either speaks to her live vocal mastery of these songs, or it means she's a master at the art of miming.
Either way, Jepsen's on-stage energy and crowd connection helped tamp down any possible lip-syncing lameness. She offered thoughtful comments and stories here and there, giving her crowd bits of insight into songwriting inspirations.
Before doing the slow-burning defiance tune "Emotion," Jepsen said it was about an ex boyfriend. "I wrote this song about wanting him to want me back; funny thing was I didn't want him back at all." That's refreshing.
Other songs required no setup at all. The chipper 2012 single "Good Time" had the crowd bouncing from the first bars, and folks swooned when Jepsen approached Prince territory with the slow jam, "All That."
I'll certainly welcome the star's return to Dallas on her next tour. Jepsen should know, though, that she could still thrill with a rawer, riskier approach. Polished isn't the only option.
