The Lovers Rock Tour was the fifth concert tour by English band Sade. Predominately visiting amphitheaters in North America, the tour supported the band's fifth studio album, Lovers Rock. Taking place in 2001, it was deemed by many critics as a comeback tour as it marked the band's first performances since 1994. Although many believed the trek would expand to other countries, this did not come to fruition. With over 40 shows, it became the 13th biggest tour in North America, earning over 26 million.

Background The tour was announced via Sade's website in April 2001. The announcement stated the tour would begin in the summer of 2001 with 30 shows. Initial dates were rescheduled due to extended rehearsal time. The shows sold well, with many stops adding additional shows. In August 2001, the tour was extended by eight weeks, due to ticket demand. The tour was produced by SFX Entertainment and was the band's first tour in seven years, following the Love Deluxe World Tour. The tour also marks the band's final performances until 2011's tour, Sade Live.

Opening acts India Arie (select dates) Youssou N'Dour (Los Angeles—22 July) Phuz (select dates)

Setlist "Cherish the Day" "Your Love Is King" "Somebody Already Broke My Heart" (includes excerpt of "Never as Good as the First Time") "Cherry Pie" "Pearls" "Every Word" "Smooth Operator" "Redeye" "Jezebel" "Kiss of Life" "Slave Song" "The Sweetest Gift" "The Sweetest Taboo" "Lovers Rock" "Immigrant" "Paradise" "King of Sorrow" "No Ordinary Love" "By Your Side" Encore "Flow" "Is It a Crime" "It's Only Love That Gets You Through" Source:

Tour dates Date City Country Venue14 July 2001VancouverCanadaGeneral Motors Place15 July 2001SeattleUnited StatesKeyArena17 July 2001ConcordChronicle Pavilion18 July 2001Mountain ViewShoreline Amphitheatre20 July 2001IrvineVerizon Wireless Amphitheatre22 July 2001Los AngelesHollywood Bowl23 July 200126 July 2001Chula VistaCoors Amphitheatre27 July 2001Las VegasMGM Grand Garden Arena29 July 2001SelmaVerizon Wireless Amphitheater30 July 2001DallasAmerican Airlines Center1 August 2001The WoodlandsCynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion4 August 2001MinneapolisTarget Center5 August 2001RosemontAllstate Arena7 August 20018 August 2001TorontoCanadaAir Canada Centre10 August 2001HolmdelUnited StatesPNC Bank Arts Center11 August 2001CamdenTweeter Center at the Waterfront13 August 2001New York CityMadison Square Garden15 August 200116 August 2001WantaghJones Beach Theater18 August 2001ClevelandCSU Convocation Center19 August 2001Auburn HillsThe Palace of Auburn Hills21 August 2001BaltimoreBaltimore Arena22 August 2001BostonFleetCenter24 August 2001BristowNissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge25 August 2001RaleighAlltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek27 August 2001AtlantaPhilips Arena29 August 2001SunriseNational Car Rental Center30 August 2001TampaIce Palace1 September 2001New OrleansNew Orleans Arena3 September 2001Bonner SpringsSandstone Amphitheater5 September 2001St. LouisSavvis Center7 September 2001NoblesvilleVerizon Wireless Music Center8 September 2001CincinnatiRiverbend Music Center10 September 2001ColumbusPolaris Amphitheater13 September 2001DenverPepsi Center15 September 2001Las VegasMGM Grand Garden Arena16 September 2001PhoenixDesert Pavilions18 September 2001ConcordChronicle Pavilion20 September 2001AnaheimArrowhead Pond of Anaheim21 September 2001InglewoodGreat Western Forum

Cancellations and rescheduled shows 17 July 2001Mountain View, CaliforniaShoreline AmphitheatreRescheduled to 18 July 200118 July 2001Concord, CaliforniaChronicle PavilionRescheduled to 17 July 200121 July 2001Las Vegas, NevadaMGM Grand Garden ArenaRescheduled to 27 July 2001

Box office box score Venue City Tickets Sold / Available Gross RevenueHollywood BowlLos Angeles32,138 / 35,086 (92%)$1,977,007MGM Grand Garden ArenaLas Vegas12,225 / 12,846 (95%)$897,361American Airlines CenterDallas11,840 / 13,446 (88%)$743,730Jones Beach TheaterWantagh14,063 / 14,108 (~100%)$912,919Baltimore ArenaBaltimore10,349 / 11,390 (91%)$678,192New Orleans ArenaNew Orleans10,540 / 12,251 (86%)$648,700TOTAL91,155 / 99,127 (92%)$5,857,909

Broadcasts and recordings

The concerts in Anaheim and Inglewood were chronicled for the band's first live CD/DVD recording respectively titled, Lovers Live. The live recordings were released in February 2002 and topped the charts in the United States, Belgium and Italy. The album sold over 500,000 copies in the U.S., adding a gold record to the band's repertoire.

Critical reception The tour received high praise from music critics in the U.S. and Canada. Steve Baltin (Rolling Stone) found Adu's vocal performance effortless, during the show at the KeyArena. He says, "Musically, some of the other peak moments were a stunning 'No Ordinary Love'; a moving 'By Your Side'; a buoyant 'Paradise,' and 'King of Sorrow'. After closing with 'By Your Side,' Sade and her band left to a deafening ovation. The three-song encore was highlighted by a vocally powerful 'Is It a Crime,' in which Sade let loose with great success".

Jason Reynolds (NME) writes the band left the crowd at the Hollywood Bowl "beaming". He continues, "As Sade steps out on to the stage, she instantly captures the hearts of the crowd. Still looking stunning, she exudes a magnetism that draws them into her spell. It's very simple – no choreographed dance routines, no pyrotechnics – just Sade herself. The voice". For the concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Selma; Rauol Hernandez stated despite the heatwave in the CenTex area, Sade was the "storm" the area needed. He further states, "The thunder and lightning video was especially apropos. Sade's quiet storm really is 'The Sweetest Taboo'".

Adu's vocals were deemed smooth as silk for the concert in Rosemont. Corey Moss (MTV News) writes, "Unlike Madonna and Janet Jackson, the other pop divas on tour this summer, Sade doesn't overly decorate her tunes with costumes and choreography". Jane Stevenson (Toronto Sun) gave the performance at the Air Canada Centre 4 out of 5 stars. She explains, "What else would you expect from a singer who was the epitome of cool way back in 1984 with the release of her debut album and has barely changed her trademark laid-back, jazz-inflected R&B grooves or classic ponytail and hoop earrings look since then"?

Issac Guzman (New York Daily News) mentioned the band displayed a passion for music and their fans. He says, "When she sang the title song of last year's 'Lovers Rock' album, she was referring not so much to rock music, but to a solid foundation on which one might build a relationship. This relationship, of course, is best constructed in a vaguely exotic milieu where people rendezvous in small cafes on the French Riviera or dance on the veranda of a private villa stocked with Champagne". Jon Pareles (The New York Times) writes the band displayed various emotions throughout the show at the famous Madison Square Garden. He continues, "Sade still sang with the pauses and hesitations she learned from [Billie] Holiday, but every so often when she reached a confession of great pain or joy, she dispelled the smoke in her voice to reveal a pure, indelible ache. Even when she sang more demurely, it was clear that her composure was anything but nonchalant".

Personnel Sade Adu – vocals Andrew Hale – keyboards Stuart Matthewman – guitar, saxophone Paul S. Denman – bass Karl Vanden Bossche – percussion Charlie Bouis – recording engineer Ian Duncan – digital editing Lynn Jeffrey – personal assistant Eric Johnston – assistant engineer Pete Lewinson – drums Tony Momrelle – vocals Sophie Muller – image design Andrew Nichols – assistant mixer Leroy Osbourne – flute, guitar, vocals Howard Page – engineer Mike Pela – mixing Ryan Waters – guitar

References