Tracy Chapman — Oakland Coliseum, 1988

Live capture of Tracy Chapman at the Oakland Coliseum Arena in 1988, the year of her self-titled debut album and international breakthrough. Carried by the hits “Fast Car,” “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution” and “Baby Can I Hold You,” the American singer and guitarist brings to the stage a stripped-back folk, a deep voice and a social commitment that stood apart from the era’s pop production. This live filmed concert captures an artist then in her twenties, alone or in a small lineup, whose stage sobriety and lyrical force are enough to hold a room. The format highlights the essence of her art: acoustic guitar, voice and message-driven song, in the contemporary-folk lineage of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. A precious 1988 live document for rediscovering Tracy Chapman at the moment of her emergence, for lovers of folk and committed songwriting.