Mariah Carey performing at Helsinki Arena on March 04 2016. Picture: Elizabeth Catherine Barr for Finland Today
“Helsinki, can you hear me?” belted out the pop diva Mariah Carey, 46, to the not quite capacity crowd at Helsinki Arena on Monday night.
And yes, Helsinki heard, but didn’t really respond in the way that Carey wanted.
Most of the crowd sat for the show even after Carey encouraged the audience to stand and dance on many occasions. When she held out the microphone to the floor for her to hear the people sing back the chorus of one of her biggest hits, “Hero”, it fell rather silent.
I had never been to a concert in Helsinki before last night. But I have heard from several people that wish to be nameless that crowds in Finland are notoriously difficult to whip up into a frenzy. But that didn’t stop Carey from going all out with her greatest hits from her impressive line-up of records that span over 25 years.
Among the four wardrobe and (I’m guessing) wig changes, she had a half a dozen buff and oiled shirtless dancers, a live band including Grammy nominated musicians, duets with a taped Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Jay-Z alongside her jaw dropping 5 octaves vocal range.
The show included atmospheric lights. Picture: Rory Barr for Finland TodayCarey took everyone on a fantastic ride back to the teenage years of the largely mid-30’s/ early 40’s female crowd.
But a quiet audience doesn’t mean that they weren’t touched by Carey’s talents as most women walked out of the arena with smudged makeup and teary eyes as Carey ended the night on “Without You.” Her next scheduled show in Tallinn, Estonia is in for a treat.
[divider]Mariah Carey’s Full Setlist, Helsinki, Finland March 04 2016[/divider]
1. Fantasy
2. Emotions
3. My All
4. Always Be My Baby
5. I’ll Be There
6. Rock With You
7. Touch My Body
8. I Know What You Want (fragment)
9. Obsessed (fragment)
10. It’s Like That (fragment)
11. Shake It Off (fragment)
12. Loverboy (fragment)
13. Heartbreaker (fragment)
14. Against All Odds (Take a Look At Me Now)
15. One Sweet Day
16. When You Believe
17. Hero
18. We Belong Together
19. Without You
20. Butterfly (outro)
