The Round Table

Last night, Mandy Moore played a special acoustic set at the Highline Ballroom here in NYC in support of her new album release Amanda Leigh. Full disclosure: I am not and have never been a Mandy Moore fan. In fact, the only song I know from Mandy is “Candy.” (um, is that dating myself much?) But last night, I left the show with a new respect for Mandy’s growth as a musician.

Backed by only a guitar and piano, Moore crooned her way through all 11 songs from Amanda Leigh pausing only briefly to (minimally) interact with the audience. While the crowd clearly wanted more banter, Moore was set on delivering a strong vocal performance and showcase her new sound. I have to say, the acoustic instrumentation of last night’s performance paired with Moore’s throwback vocals suit her just fine – I much prefer her unplugged.

While the tunes are catchy, there wasn’t much diversity in sound. At times, I found myself wondering if she started a new song or if I was caught up mid number. Either way, I was impressed with Moore’s ability to break away from the “pop” persona and shift to a more folk-rock sound.

The crowd favorite was the lead single “I Could Break Your Heart,” especially after Moore confided that she has to work “very hard” to sell this image since she doesn’t see herself as “a heartbreaker.” This confession prompted the audience to adorn the songstress with “I love yous,” which she shyly returned.

Be sure to check out pictures from the performance here as well as clips of “I Could Break Your Heart” and “Fern Dell” below.

We watched Mandy Moore, the once sweet like “candy” popstar, grow up right before our eyes — deserting the bubblegum stylings along the way. And now, she’s back with a new album, Amanda Leigh, the title of which is taken from her own first and middle names. Based on the title alone, one could say the album will be a reflection of Moore who was (finally) given complete creative control of the recording process.

In support of the new album, Moore has teamed up with Best Buy for a special promotion here in NYC . On June 2nd, she’ll perform an acoustic show at the Highline Ballroom in NYC and if you purchase Amanda Leigh at a NY Metro Area Best Buy (or at Bestbuy.com) your receipt will grant you (and a guest) admission to the show. Pretty sweet, right? Be sure to check the list of participating stores in the NY Metro Area.

While space is limited and entry to the show will be on a first come first serve basis, The Round Table is hooking you up! Thanks to our friends at RED Music, we have 5 pair of tickets that guarantee you entrance to the show. See below on how to enter our ticket giveaway. Please note you must be 18 or older with a valid ID to attend the performance and must live in NYC area (or willing to travel on your own dime.)

Show Details:
Tuesday June 2nd, 8PM at The Highline Ballroom
431 W. 16th St. (b/t 9th and 10th Ave), New York, NY 10011
Doors open at 7PM

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Fill out the Name and Email fields in the comment area
2. Tell us your favorite Mandy Moore moment – it can be related to music. movies, anything.
OPTIONAL: You can only enter once, but doing these things will count as extra submissions.
3. Twitter — Retweet this: “Enter to win Mandy Moore tickets to NYC show from The Round Table: http://budurl.com/ngy2” (leave the url of your retweet in the comments — separate from any other entry so it can count as an extra entry, increasing your chances of being picked.)
4. Facebook — Post a link on Facebook pointing to this very post (leave the url of your FB link in the comments — separate from any other entry so it can count as an extra entry, increasing your chances of being picked.)

ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL May 31st @ 11PM EST