Universal Republic Showcase: Amy Winehouse

Last night, I realized why I have such much love for Amy Winehouse. Not only is she a phenomenal singer, she is also a human being who doesn't try too hard to hide her flaws. In other words, she isn't faking it. What you see is what you get. Such honesty in popular music is a rarity these days.

One of the first things that struck me about Amy was how tiny she is. She really is very thin, particularly when compared to the fierce hive on her head. But as soon as she opens her mouth, you forget what a fragile little woman she is. Her voice is larger than life and it carried her throughout the 70-minute show last night.

This was the singer's first live performance since the disastrous cancelled gigs in London last week. A lot is at stake for Winehouse who is doing several showcases this week to promote her debut album that is out in the U.S. this week. The audience was very aware of her drinking problems and some heckled her by screaming things like "bring out the booze!" and "more gin!."

She was enjoying a beer on stage, even though she wanted the audience to believe it was gin and lemonade because "ladies don't drink beer." She even responded to the audience by joking about people with drinking problems. She definitely seemed to have it together most of the time, although she did forget the lyrics to one of her songs while looking very embarassed into the audience and at her band. With her devious smile, she chuckled and joked, "at least give me props for making it so far into the show without making any mistakes." You gotta love her.

Normally, this would be unacceptable for an artist of her stature (especially during a showcase). However, there is something about her honest, fragile performance and straight up antics that makes it okay. Amy has her flaws. She knows it. The audience knows it. And it is okay. It is who she is. And it is in fact what makes her so special in my view.

She sang several songs from her debut album and her new record, including "Back To Black," Me & Mr. Jones," "You Know I'm No Good," "Tears Dry On Their Own" and a sizzling rendition of "Rehab."