Wow! It’s gonna be hard to top this birthday. Stevie Wonder concerts are quite a rarity these days, and he sure threw it down last night. Here are some of the highlights from the local rags…
A sold-out, amped-up crowd awaited Wonder, who pulled generously from a bag of classics in a night that rode a smooth, casual flow while depositing a performance that was tight and seamless. Wonder, clearly feeding off the night’s emotional energy, gave as good as he got, offering a spirited, sometimes spiritual set.
The venue buzzed while awaiting Wonder’s entry, 35 minutes later than scheduled. Taking the stage accompanied by daughter Aisha Morris — the now fully grown and quite attractive baby of “Isn’t She Lovely” fame — Wonder spoke of his desire to get back on the road after the death last year of his mother, Detroiter Lula Mae Hardaway.
Seated at piano and synth, and with the Rev. Jesse Jackson looking on from the stage wings, Wonder rolled into a low-key opening stretch (”Love’s in Need of Love Today,” “Too High”) before picking up the pace with up-tempo material such as “Living for the City” and “Master Blaster.” He teased at “Higher Ground” before launching into an improv funk jam with his crack nine-piece band.
Meadow Brook was packed. We heard it was the largest crowd they ever had. They had people parking in the street and folks were practically sitting in the woods since the main lawn was full.
Stevie’s opening was decidedly subdued, and you could tell he was holding back on purpose. The first real tease was when he played Visions, which is a really mellow tune. Near the end of the song though he and the band had this slow build where they were just totally rocking out. After that they slipped back into slower ballads before picking things up again near the end of the show.
Here’s the Oakland Press:
The show did simmer before it really started to cook, however. Telling the packed crowd of 7,000 at the Oakland University amphitheater that it was “truly my honor to be back here in Detroit,” Wonder explained the impetus for the tour — to honor his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, who passed away in May of 2006 — before he and his daughter and backup singer Aisha Morris sat at his keyboards for “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” with the rest of the band coming in for the second verse.
He then proceeded to mix hits (”Livin’ For the City,” “Master Blaster (Jammin’),” “Higher Ground”) with a generous selection of more obscure fare from his catalog, including “Too High,” “Visions” and “Golden Lady.” But a mid-show slowdown was both beautifully performed and a bit challenging to sit through, as Wonder conducted a long vamp through “Ribbon in the Sky,” complete with audience participation, and continued to dip deep into his song pile for surprises such as “Girl Blue,” “Rocket Love,” “You and I” and “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer,” “Hey Love” and “Place in the Sun.”
It was choice stuff for the aficionados but a restless stretch for those who wanted the hits.
I’m certainly a Stevie fan, but I can’t honestly call myself an “aficionado.” Being honest, I was one of the ones who thought the middle part of the show dragged a bit at times, but like I said, you could just sense that he was getting ready to pull out the hits. And boy, did Stevie deliver:
Songs were stopped and started seemingly at whim, and the energetic medley kept everyone on their feet as the Wonder crew served up a greatest hits parade of “For Once in My Life,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” “Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” “Superstition,” Little Willie John’s “Fever” — sung by his son Keith John, who’s one of Wonder’s backup singers — “Part-Time Lover,” “Boogie On Reggae Woman” and “Do I Do.”
Wonder closed things on a home town note, bringing longtime friend and early musical partner John Glover and his sister Margaret onstage for a tribute and then urging the audience to promote peace, love and harmony in their lives — and battle those who don’t. After the show he noted that “we do a prayer every night, so I just really wanted to give my very best.”
The last third of the show was basically a non-stop hit parade. Stevie would just wave off the band as they played the closing notes of one song and then rip right into the next one.
The funniest moment of the evening was right after he played Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours). Stevie explained how he thought the song could easily be translated into a country song, and then demonstrated exactly how it could be done. The band slowed down the tempo, gave the tune a decidedly country twang, and then Stevie sang the lyrics in a pitch-perfect Southern drawl. I know it sounds silly, but the whole thing was bust-a-gut funny.
I went four for five on my top five song requests, which was pretty cool. The only one he didn’t play that I really wanted to hear was Uptight (Everything’s Alright), but that’s hardly a complaint. It was a fabulous evening (if not a little chilly) that I’ll not soon forget.
Thanks to everyone who made my birthday so WONDERful this year: mom, Dan, dad, Sherry, the girls, grandma and grandpa, the Spiros, and of course… my Stefy girl.
Isn’t she lovely?
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