Hot off the heels of his June release Lay It Down, the Reverend Al Green once again soulfully finessed his way into the hearts of a small but enthusiastic crowd. The show, sponsored by PAETEC, a national telecommunications company, was a satisfying expression of this legendary talent.
|
| |
Al Green
|
 Entertainment
 Art
Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
Chicago, Il
July 12, 2008
|
| |
|
|
Dressed sharply in black and blue and armed with his standard field of cut roses, Green took charge of the stage leaving the audience instantly star struck.
Opening with his customary “I Can’t Stop,” Green was backed by his solid 12 piece band and two young, male dancers. Initially his voice was below expectations due to monitor problems, but he quickly recovered and was in incredible voice for the remainder of the set.
After requesting that the audience have a seat and enjoy to the show, Green and his flamboyant but distracting dancers carried on through a vocally dynamic rendition of “Let’s Get Married.”
In between sips of his of his yellow Gatorade, and passing out the coveted red flowers, Green performed his greatest hits. He sang “Let’s Stay Together,” “ Here I Am (Come and Take Me),” and “I’m Still In Love With You” (or as he sang “Chicago, I’m Still In Love With You”) with the same timeless essence as heard on his records.
Al most notably performed the title track from his album Lay It Down like it was one of his classics. The song’s vibrant crescendos compelled Green to rip his suit coat off, throw it to the floor, bringing the crowd to its feet. The song also inspired a harmonious call and response with the audience.
It’s no secret that he’s the Reverend, as he spoke to the crowd like it was his own congregation. In a personable way, Green engaged an admiring fan in an “I love you” contest, saying into the microphone “I love you too, I love you four... I love you ten!” At another point he proudly proclaimed “Chicago and the Lord!”
Regardless of his religious passion, he was more than comfortable performing a secular montage of 60’s hits including “I Can’t Help Myself ,” “My Girl,” “Bring It On Home to Me,” and “Dock of the Bay.”
The show concluded with “Love and Happiness,” another perennial and predictable classic. As the band jammed on, Al took a bow and left the stage in the arms of the event organizers, followed by his “non-band” posse. Green walked off stage like he had just run the Chicago Marathon giving a shout of satisfaction like James Brown at a fine-ass party. Green did not come back for an encore.
With a return to a secular soul sound on record, the Reverend proved he’s one of the few surviving musical legends who can still walk the walk, while others can only now talk the talk.
|
great article
Written by Guest on 2008-08-05 15:13:09
eloquently written. thanks for the great review! |
Powered by AkoComment 2.0!
