Why Aren't You Singing?

Cool blue lighting bathes the stage as sultry guitar tones initiate "The Sea" from Morcheeba's 1998 debut Big Calm. Opening with what is arguably their most recognized song, the group sets the bar high for the evening. Vocalist Skye Edwards is certainly the limit, resplendent in a red, boa-toga dress and her head crowned with Afro puffs. The gyrations and serpentine arm movements with which she beguiles the audience are just further adornment to her powerful yet soothing voice. During the chorus, Skye asks, "Why aren't you singing?" Immediately the packed venue swells with voices. The audience transforms from spectators into participants.

"It's Fat Tuesday," Skye remarks in her endearing South London accent. "Are you ready to dance?" The mood is high as the five-man-band backing the vocalist accelerates the pace on the dub drenched "Friction." Offstage bodies bounce and sway.

Ross Godfrey, the group's guitarist, announces, "When I was a boy, I thought this song was about a locksmith." "Did you really?" Skye questions. "Yeah, smuggling a couple of keys..." and the group launches into Arlo Guthrie's 1968 ode to drug smuggling, "Coming Into Los Angeles." WTF? But it works, as does all of the group's material tonight, which includes "Slow Down," “Blindfold," "Crimson" (from their latest, Blood Like Lemonade), and some slide guitar on "Part of the Process."

The chill crowd is rendered rabid when roaring to request an encore. As the group returns, Mardi Gras beads are hurled on stage. Skye wraps a strand around her neck asking, "Aren't you supposed to see my boobs?" Still laughing, the group false starts on the mellow "Over and Over." They conclude the evening with the soul-inspired uplift of "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day."

• Concert: Morcheeba
• Date: March 8
• Venue: House of Blues
• Seats: General, floor, center