Oh, Mercy! It's Duffy!

A lot of people, when they first hear Duffy (MySpace), might have a knee-jerk reaction of, "Oh, that girl is just trying to sound like Amy Winehouse." It's an understandable, if not entirely fair, reaction to the 24-year-old Welsh singer's brand of neo-soul music. Duffy's music is, at its best, a heck of a lot more thoughtful and personal than Winehouse's. At a minimum, Duffy is unencumbered by the melodrama that seems to consume Winehouse—both musically and personally.

But to dwell on the Winehouse comparison is to short change the fantastic talent that Duffy brings to the table in her own right. Her abilities shine through on her breakthrough album, Rockferry. Many of you have heard the single, "Mercy," but we think Duffy's finest work is on more subtle songs like "Warwick Avenue" and "Stepping Stone." And we can't wait to see how those chops carry over to a liver performance. That's why we'll be getting to the Wachovia Center right at 7:30 on Saturday evening, when Duffy will be opening up for Coldplay.

Coldplay, with Duffy
Sat., 11/1/08
Wachovia Center, 3601 S. Broad St.
7:30 p.m. (Doors 6:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $49.50-$97.50