Rating: N
If you’ve never seen the flaky sometime van-dwelling Alaskan blond live in concert, this über-cheesy shot-on-video DVD, combining two shows on a breezy summer’s night at a Cape-side stage, should satisfy even the most ravenous Jewel fan. The songbird strums through all her big hits (Near You Always, Hands, You Were Meant For Me, a horrific blues/scatting version of Who Will Save Your Soul), stopping periodically to banter with her audience in a vaguely dismissive manner. Jewel’s voice has never been stellar, and the mediocre sound quality exacerbates the problem – the high end comes off like a cat yowling, the lower range evokes a streetcar grinding over tracks. Not to worry. The plethora of cameras (I count at least seven) focus on her two, uh, best assets. No shit – there’s a lens positioned directly below her cleavage in, like, every other shot. The extras are similarly lame: a dorky interview in which the singer discusses her dedication to her craft, and an on-the-road video for Standing Still that’s essentially a vehicle for Jewel to sport a slew of different necklines. Sound appealing? Then check Jewel out when she plays Massey Hall Saturday (July 17).