Jewel, Columbus, OH, Promowest Pavilion, July 9, 2004
It was a perfect Friday night for a Jewel concert. The air was think with humidity, the temperature was a warm 85 and people were gathering on the grass and in their chairs to see a hot, intimate acoustic show with Jewel. It came upon 9 pm and with the fading sunlight still gracing the stage, Jewel came slowly out on stage in a white sundress, surrounded by three Taylor acoustic guitars, a vase of flowers and a few bottles of water. The show had begun.

With a one-woman show, Jewel was able to banter with the crowd, take requests and play songs that would normally never be played in a live performance. And Jewel took full advantage, even having a quick conversation with this photographer as my camera did its best to get in her face for the perfect shot. Jewel then went on about her nose and double chin while singing certain chords, but more than a few yelled back confirming Jewel’s beauty, both outside and what she brings to the music world.

Jewel is one of those rare commodities that has both outer and inner beauty that provides for an exhilarating performance and truthful songs while still appealing to the mass market which would rather plaster a pretty face over a gorgeous song. Jewel’s live performance was nothing short of excellent. With the intimate setting of 3,000, Jewel used every trick in the book to make each person feel as if they were seeing her sing in a small club. Whether she was talking about a break-up song she wrote when 19 and still having meaning today, or playing a top hit heard on the radio more times than we care to count, Jewel was just that, a jewel. A polished diamond that is a mark of beauty, but also has a more rich history behind it than most would care to know. Most people don’t care about a diamond’s history, they want to stare at it. But once they learn the history, the diamond becomes that much more of a treasure and has that much more value. The same can be said for Jewel. With her stints at homelessness to her unbridled passion for world music, Jewel proves over and over again she is more than a pretty face. Even if she thinks her nose is too big.

Her songs are a million times larger and her voice is even bigger as it shoots through your ears and hits your heart like a dagger loaded with Novocain. Piercing but soothing at the same time. Jewel can make your heart skip a beat, but at the same time can bring the pulse down to a relaxing beat in tune with her strong harmonies.

Needless to say, Jewel put on a tremendous show and it seemed that each and every one of the 3,000-plus enjoyed it as well. Jewel proved she is a solid performer with or without a band. And as usual, she proved she is more than just a pretty face.