Wonderful show: Stevie charms audience
The show began with Stevie Wonder praising God and ended with Jesse Jackson dancing on stage.
The 2 hours and 45 minutes in between (without intermission) contained amazing music, a little silliness and a lot of audience singing.
Wonder's sold-out show at Charter One Pavilion Tuesday night marked his first tour in more than a decade. Rather than rely on a play-the-hits format, as most nostalgia acts do today, Wonder went way beyond that. He chatted with the audience after nearly every song, cracked jokes, shared personal stories and preached peace and love.
Of course, the night was about music. Backed by a seven-member band, Wonder added flair to each of his classic songs, be it standing on his piano bench for "Do I Do" (remember, the guy is blind) or experimenting with a psychedelic-sounding intro to "Higher Ground." His version of "I Wish" grooved so much, every neck in the venue jutted forward as soon as the song's infamous first bass notes were played.
Other highlights were the rare cut "Golden Lady," a funkified "Sir Duke," and a sexy, salsa-styled version of "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing."
Even though Wonder has more Grammys than he can carry, he praised the work of several musicians by playing snippets of their songs, including "Birdland" by jazz artist Joe Zawinal, who passed away Tuesday. To indulge his fondness for country music (who knew?), he sang a goofy, twangy version of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered."
Wonder introduced his daughter Aisha (and yes, she is lovely, as the song says), who led him on stage and then stayed to sing back-up.
A lot of time -- arguably a little too much -- was spent at The Church of Stevie. At one point, before "Master Blaster (Jammin')" he had the audience shouting "God is good! Love is good!" More chanting took place during a powerful performance of "Vision," a mellow song that escalated in volume and power as Wonder gave a sermon about loving thy neighbor. At the start of the show, he led a moment of silence for the victims of Sept. 11.
Even after playing nearly three straight hours, you got the sense that Wonder, 57, would have kept going had the venue's curfew allowed.
The night ended with shortened versions of some of his '70s and '80s hits, and then the appearance of Jesse Jackson and other activists on stage. Wonder sang "Happy Birthday" (Stevie's hit version) to thank them for helping get legislation passed to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday.
Living up to his legendary status, Wonder made sure the fans who wished those days … would … come back once more, got their wish.