The Less is More Tour is the second headlining concert tour by British

British people

The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

 recording artist, Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...

. Primarily visiting the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, the tour will support the singer's third studio album, Strip Me

Strip Me

Strip Me is the third studio album by British singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield. Originally due for release on 9 November 2010, the album's release was pushed back to 7 December 2010 on Phonogenic Records...

. Joining Bedingfield on tour will be American

People of the United States

The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...

 recording artists, Andy Grammer

Andy Grammer

Andy Grammer is an American singer-songwriter signed to Steve Greenberg's S-Curve Records. His debut album, Andy Grammer, was officially released on June 14, 2011.-Biography:...

, Kevin Hammond and Kate Voegele

Kate Voegele

Kate Elizabeth Voegele is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is signed to Interscope Records. She is also known for her part as Mia Catalano in the CW TV series One Tree Hill.-Career:...

, who previously supported Bedingfield on her Verizon VIP Tour (2009). The Less Is More tour is an "intimate" experience, and will begin in Western Massachusetts

Western Massachusetts

Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...

 on June 5, 2011 and is presently set to end in South Florida

South Florida metropolitan area

The South Florida metropolitan area, also known as the Miami metropolitan area, and designated the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S...

 on July 16, 2011.

Background

The tour was announced on Bedingfield's official website on April 20, 2011, concurrent with the release of her third single "Weightless". Sponsored by Freschetta

Schwan Food Company

The Schwan Food Company is a multibillion-dollar, privately owned company with 17,000 employees in the United States. Based in Marshall, Minnesota, the company sells frozen foods from home-delivery trucks, in grocery-store freezers, by mail and to the food service industry...

, the tour will primarily visit the United States in the summer of 2011. The singer describes the tour as a "stripped down set in an intimate setting". Bedingfield plans to perform tracks from her latest LP

LP record

The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...

, along with a few of her hits to an acoustic sound

Acoustic music

Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...

. The singer will perform in nightclubs

Nightclub

A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...

 and theatres

Theatre

Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...

 to provide the concerts the intimate feeling she desires. Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 Kate Voegele (who opened for Bedingfield on her previous outing), will join Bedingfield at select concerts. Newcomers to the music scene, Andy Grammer and Kevin Hammond, will also serve as the opening acts. During a recent interview, Bedingfield expressed her desire to work with Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham

Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops...

. She stated she would like Beckham to design the costumes for her to wear on tour.
To introduce the tour, Bedingfield stated,

"I'm so excited and ready to go back on tour in the U.S. to celebrate this new album. I always find inspiration in performing for my fans. […]There's just something about being on the road and singing my songs live that is refreshing. It reminds me of why this is what I absolutely love."

Opening acts

• Andy Grammer
  Andy Grammer
  Andy Grammer is an American singer-songwriter signed to Steve Greenberg's S-Curve Records. His debut album, Andy Grammer, was officially released on June 14, 2011.-Biography:...
  
  
• Kevin Hammond (Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Myrtle Beach)
• Kate Voegele
  Kate Voegele
  Kate Elizabeth Voegele is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is signed to Interscope Records. She is also known for her part as Mia Catalano in the CW TV series One Tree Hill.-Career:...
  
   (select dates)

Setlist

1. "Neon Lights"
2. "Little Too Much"
3. "These Words
   These Words
   "These Words" is a song written by Natasha Bedingfield, Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton and Wayne Wilkins for Bedingfield's 2004 debut album Unwritten. The song is the album's opening track, and was released as its second single...
   
   "
4. "All I Need"
5. "Message in a Bottle
   Message in a Bottle (song)
   "Message in a Bottle" is a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Reggatta de Blanc.The song is ostensibly about a story of a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle to seek love. A year later, he has not received any sort of response, and despairs, thinking he is...
   
   "
6. "Single
   Single (Natasha Bedingfield song)
   "Single" is a pop song written by British singer Natasha Bedingfield, Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton and Wayne Wilkins for Bedingfield's debut album Unwritten . The song was produced by Kipner, Frampton and Wayne Wilkins and received a positive reception from music critics...
   
   "
7. "I Bruise Easily
   I Bruise Easily
   "I Bruise Easily" is a pop song written by Natasha Bedingfield, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins and Paul Herman for Bedingfield's debut album Unwritten . In the song, Bedingfield describes how relationships affect people, even when they have come to an end. The track was released as the album's...
   
   "
8. "Strip Me
   Strip Me (song)
   "Strip Me" is a song performed by British singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield. The song is the title track and second single from her third studio album and was co-written and co-produced by Ryan Tedder. The song was sent to US radio on 31 August 2010 and later to online music stores on 21...
   
   "
9. "Run-Run-Run"
10. "Can't Fall Down"
11. "Angel
    Angel (Natasha Bedingfield song)
    "Angel" is a pop song performed by Natasha Bedingfield for her second North American album Pocketful of Sunshine. It was released as the album's third single in North America on August 11, 2008...
    
    "
12. "Soulmate
    Soulmate (song)
    "Soulmate" is a pop song written and produced by Natasha Bedingfield, Mads Hauge and David Tench for Bedingfield's second album, N.B. . The song is written in the key of E-flat minor and set in 4/4 time. Bedingfield's vocals range from F#3 to B4. The lyrics discuss if there is a soulmate for...
    
    "
13. "Wild Horses"
14. "Try"
15. "Purple Rain
    Purple Rain (song)
    "Purple Rain" is a power ballad by Prince and The Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name, and was released as the third single from that album. The song is a combination of rock, pop, gospel,...
    
    "
16. "Pocketful of Sunshine
    Pocketful of Sunshine (song)
    "Pocketful of Sunshine" is a pop song performed by Natasha Bedingfield for her second North American album Pocketful of Sunshine. It was released as the album's second single in 2008. The single was supposed to be released in the UK as Natasha's second single from the re-release of N.B. on 7 July...
    
    " (contains excerpts from "We're All Mad")
17. "Love Like This"
18. "Put Your Arms Around Me"
19. "Weightless"
20. "Recover"
21. "Unwritten
    Unwritten (song)
    "Unwritten" is a song by English singer Natasha Bedingfield. Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, and Wayne Rodriguez wrote it for her debut album, Unwritten. The single was released as the album's third UK single and second US single...
    
    "

Source:

Additional notes

• During the concert in New York City, Bedingfield performed "Hot in Herre
  Hot in Herre
  "Hot in Herre" is a popular song and single performed by the hip-hop artist Nelly, and was released in 2002 as the first single on his album Nellyville. The song's producers were The Neptunes...
  
  ", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
  Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
  "Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...
  
  " and "Hold It Against Me
  Hold It Against Me
  "Hold It Against Me" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the first single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Billboard, with additional writing by Bonnie McKee. Luke explained that he wanted "Hold It...
  
  ".
• During the concert in Alexandria, Bedingfield performed "What's My Name?
  What's My Name? (Rihanna song)
  "What's My Name?" is mid-tempo electro-R&B song, produced by Norwegian producers, StarGate, who return Rihanna to the "Island-pop" of her early career with a backing track consisting of "heavy reggae" and ska beats with synthesised organs. Bill Lamb from About.com noted that before Rihanna's vocals...
  
  " and "Sex on Fire
  Sex on Fire
  "Sex on Fire" is the first single to be taken from Kings of Leon's fourth studio album Only by the Night and as of September 2009, the second most-downloaded digital single ever in the United Kingdom...
  
  ".
• During the concert in Minneapolis, Bedingfield performed "Smooth Operator
  Smooth Operator
  "Smooth Operator" is a song by the English group Sade, released as the fourth and final single from their debut album Diamond Life . It was released as a 7" single with "Spirit" as its B-side, and as a 12" maxi single with "Smooth Operator" and "Red Eye" on side A and "Spirit" on side B...
  
  ". The song was also performed in Seattle and Fort Lauderdale.
• During the concert in Seattle, Bedingfield performed "Big Yellow Taxi
  Big Yellow Taxi
  "Big Yellow Taxi" is a song written and originally performed by Joni Mitchell in 1970. It was a big hit in her native Canada as well as Australia and the UK...
  
  ".
• During the concert in Los Angeles, Bedingfield performed "What's My Name?", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Let It Rock
  Let It Rock (Kevin Rudolf song)
  "Let It Rock" is the debut single of Kevin Rudolf from his debut album In the City. It features rapper Lil Wayne. The track was produced and written by Rudolf....
  
  ".
• During the concert in Anaheim, Bedingfield performed "Baby Mine
  Dumbo
  Dumbo is a 1941 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released on October 23, 1941, by RKO Radio Pictures.The fourth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, Dumbo is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl for the prototype of a...
  
  ".
• During the concert in Tampa, Bedingfield performed "Ray of Light
  Ray of Light (song)
  A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound...
  
  .

Tour dates

Date	City	Country	Venue
North America
June 5, 2011	Northampton Northampton, Massachusetts The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...	United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Pearl Street Nightclub
June 8, 2011	Somerville Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...		Somerville Theatre Somerville Theatre The Somerville Theater is a movie theater and concert venue in Davis Square, located just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, in the city of Somerville in the United States of America. It is currently the only operating movie theater in Somerville since the closing of the theater complex at Assembly...
June 10, 2011	New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...		Irving Plaza Irving Plaza Irving Plaza is a 1,200-person ballroom-style music venue at 17 Irving Place and East 15th Street in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City...
June 12, 2011	Philadelphia		Theatre of Living Arts
June 13, 2011	Alexandria Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...		The Birchmere The Birchmere The Birchmere is a concert hall in Alexandria, Virginia, known for presenting performers in the bluegrass, country, folk, and jazz genres. The main stage has table seating with dinner service. The room seats 500 people and the tables in front are about two feet from the stage...
June 15, 2011	Pontiac Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...		Crofoot Ballroom The Crofoot The Crofoot is a mixed-use independent entertainment complex made up of 4 unique buildings . The complex contains 5 rooms for live music, each with a private entrance...
June 16, 2011	Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...		House of Blues House of Blues House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
June 17, 2011	Milwaukee		Pabst Theater Pabst Theater The Pabst Theater is an indoor concert venue and landmark of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. Colloquially known as "the Pabst", the theater hosts about 100 events per year...
June 18, 2011	Minneapolis		First Avenue
June 20, 2011	Des Moines Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...		Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheater
June 22, 2011	Englewood Englewood, Colorado The city of Englewood is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. As of 2007, the city is estimated to have a total population of 32,532. Englewood is part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Englewood is located in the South Platte River Valley east of the...		Gothic Theater Gothic Theater The Gothic Theater is a former movie theater turned music venue in Colorado. It was built in the 1920s but later revitalized in 1998. Since the theater re-opened in 1998, it has held an abundance of events, ranging from local concerts to private events and film showcases...
June 23, 2011	Salt Lake City		The State Room
June 25, 2011	Portland Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...		Aladdin Theatre
June 26, 2011	Seattle		Showbox at the Market Showbox at the Market The Showbox at the Market, or simply known as the Showbox, is a music venue located at 1426 1st Avenue, Seattle, Washington.-History and Usage:...
June 28, 2011	San Francisco		Slim's
June 29, 2011	Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...		House of Blues
July 1, 2011	Anaheim Anaheim, California Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
July 2, 2011	San Diego
July 3, 2011	Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
July 4, 2011	Scottsdale Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...		Martini Ranch
July 6, 2011	Dallas		House of Blues
July 7, 2011	Houston
July 9, 2011	St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...		Old Rock House
July 10, 2011	Nashville Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...		Exit/In Exit/In Exit/In is a music venue in Nashville, Tennessee. Exit/In is located on Elliston Place near Centennial Park and Vanderbilt University. It opened in 1971 under the management of Owsley Manier and Brugh Reynolds. As a small venue seating 200 or so, it developed its unique reputation in the 1970s...
July 11, 2011	Atlanta		Center Stage Theater
July 13, 2011	North Myrtle Beach North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina North Myrtle Beach is a coastal resort city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It was created in 1968 from four existing municipalities north of Myrtle Beach, and serves as one of the primary tourist towns along the Grand Strand...		House of Blues
July 14, 2011	Tampa Tampa, Florida Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....		The Ritz Ybor
July 15, 2011	Orlando Orlando, Florida Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...		House of Blues
July 16, 2011	Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...		Culture Room

Festivals and other miscellaneous performances

This concert is a part of the "Nighfall on the River" concert series

Critical reception

Dave McKenna from The Washington Post

The Washington Post

The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...

gave the tour a mixed to negative review commenting that Bedingfield's Brit Pop proves that "less is not always more." In his review, McKenna felt that the show gets off to a slow start, but that there were good moments e.g. the show coming to life when she sings "Try" and Bedingfield's bombastic cover of "Purple Rain

Purple Rain (song)

"Purple Rain" is a power ballad by Prince and The Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name, and was released as the third single from that album. The song is a combination of rock, pop, gospel,...

." He concluded that "Bedingfield then left her fans wanting more, not less." Marc Hirsh from The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...

noted that Bedingfield struggled to fill "a modest-sized theatre" at her show in Somerville

Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...

, but said that Bedingfield had the last laugh as he performance was strong enough to rub in their faces. Amongst Hirsh's positive comments was praise for the four-piece band, whom Hirsh said "[successfully] backed [Bedingfield] without extraneous frills but still managed to offer plenty of color."