I just came back from a Vienna Teng concert in San Francisco, CA at the Cowell Theatre and it was nothing short of amazing. I must note that at this point I am extremely tired, but I was so enchanted by this performance that despite my weariness, I felt I had to get the word out about this performer. I'll keep it short though.

Anyway, back to the review. Basically, it was a new experience for me, as her songs are focused around her piano and a classical orchestra (violin and cello included), which is something I've never really listened to extensively (especially live). Despite the classical background, it is not as boring as one would think (at least to one who isn't used to that type of music--like me). She throws in a drum and bass, mixing classic with modern, creating a Tori Amos-like composition. Her voice definitely would be equal to (if not better than) that of Tori Amos in power and elegance. The set was made up of about 10-11 songs, 2-3 of which came from her old album ,"Waking Hour," and the rest coming from her newly released (on 02/24/04) album, "Warm Strangers," with the exception of one special live treat, "Green Island Serenade," which is sung entirely in Mandarin. It was a wonderful experience and I'd recommend everyone to check out her site and sample her music (and if possible, catch her live).

I should also note that there was an opening act, Noe Venoble, who is also worth giving a listen (she's more guitar based as opposed to Vienna's piano ballads though).