The 'real' Marshall

The 23-year-old Toronto native made the stage her own Tuesday night as she opened for Tom Cochrane's final

Blasting through her 45-minute set with the wind power of a diesel leaf blower, Marshall's lungs could inflate BC

Place with one howl that goes on -- and on -- and on -- and on.

When she closed her set with her big hit, Birmingham, Marshall's voice was just warming up. She scaled the blues up and down, flapping her arms and throwing her hair with flamboyant affectation.

In fact, Marshall's voice is so strong live, it puts her debut Sony release to shame. Bogged down in production and mediocre material, the eponymous Amanda Marshall, tries to expose the young woman's vocal box -- but ends up overpackaging it instead.

Now that it's gone platinum in Canada (100,000 units), Sony has no regrets.

"It's great to look out at an audience that knows the words. You know they're already won over. Like, even if I'm

not the headliner, I feel that people are there to hear me. I assume that people are on my side,'' Marshall said in an interview before the show.

Given that she was told she was going to be a star since she was 18 and that she sat in with Jeff Healey, Marshall's self-confidence is understandable. She walked away when Columbia first approached her, saying she still wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her talent.

But after a while, she realized she was born to be on stage.

"I'm most comfortable when I'm on stage. That's when I feel like the person I really am -- which is just me. Like, I

don't wear that much makeup or play the whole fame thing. I think people can sense my realness.''

Marshall says in the time she's been with Sony (almost two years), she's been vocal about how she's marketed.

"Look, I can sing pretty much anything. But when we were thinking of material for this record, there were some

songs we couldn't keep because I just didn't get them. I have to get it -- you know?''

Marshall says she brought the same self-examination to the cover art and maintains a hands-on approach to all

Why then, are your legs open in every single picture we've seen of you to date?

Marshall doesn't answer at first. She thinks about it and then says: "That's the way I sit naturally. It's just who I

Fair enough. Curiosity turns to the easy and mundane: "So who are your biggest influences, vocally speaking?''

Marshall again reflects: "I guess the great songwriters attract me the most -- people like Don Henley ... and

Melissa Etheridge when I was a teenager. I think they're real.''

Amanda Marshall's CD, Amanda Marshall, is available in record stores everywhere.


	The "real" Marshall is who attracts her fans By Katherine Monk, The Vancouver Sun, March 28th 1996 Amanda Marshall is a seasoned opener. The 23-year-old Toronto native made the stage her own Tuesday night as she opened for Tom Cochrane's final show at the Commodore Ballroom. Blasting through her 45-minute set with the wind power of a diesel leaf blower, Marshall's lungs could inflate BC Place with one howl that goes on -- and on -- and on -- and on. When she closed her set with her big hit, Birmingham, Marshall's voice was just warming up. She scaled the blues up and down, flapping her arms and throwing her hair with flamboyant affectation. In fact, Marshall's voice is so strong live, it puts her debut Sony release to shame. Bogged down in production and mediocre material, the eponymous Amanda Marshall, tries to expose the young woman's vocal box -- but ends up overpackaging it instead. Now that it's gone platinum in Canada (100,000 units), Sony has no regrets. Nor has Marshall. "It's great to look out at an audience that knows the words. You know they're already won over. Like, even if I'm not the headliner, I feel that people are there to hear me. I assume that people are on my side,'' Marshall said in an interview before the show. Given that she was told she was going to be a star since she was 18 and that she sat in with Jeff Healey, Marshall's self-confidence is understandable. She walked away when Columbia first approached her, saying she still wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her talent. But after a while, she realized she was born to be on stage. "I'm most comfortable when I'm on stage. That's when I feel like the person I really am -- which is just me. Like, I don't wear that much makeup or play the whole fame thing. I think people can sense my realness.'' Marshall says in the time she's been with Sony (almost two years), she's been vocal about how she's marketed. "Look, I can sing pretty much anything. But when we were thinking of material for this record, there were some songs we couldn't keep because I just didn't get them. I have to get it -- you know?'' Marshall says she brought the same self-examination to the cover art and maintains a hands-on approach to all facets of her career. Why then, are your legs open in every single picture we've seen of you to date? Marshall doesn't answer at first. She thinks about it and then says: "That's the way I sit naturally. It's just who I am.'' Fair enough. Curiosity turns to the easy and mundane: "So who are your biggest influences, vocally speaking?'' Marshall again reflects: "I guess the great songwriters attract me the most -- people like Don Henley ... and Melissa Etheridge when I was a teenager. I think they're real.'' Amanda Marshall's CD, Amanda Marshall, is available in record stores everywhere.