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tatters
About to head on out in a snowstorm to see the (nearly) sold out show at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Just saw something on the news about a street being named after him in honor of this being his "final" tour. Not sure where they're getting that information, but if it's true, the show at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday might be the final concert of his career.
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whitem8
Tatters, I was going to message you, I got my ticket last minute. Yes, what a show. I was 12 row, and dancing, shimmying and singing with a crowd of deep Detroit funk lovers.
A 21 piece band, with an additional 8 piece string section. And man was this band hot. Really, Songs in the Key of Life is one of those deeply imbedded album from my youth in Detroit. It was a summer album. Everywhere in Detroit. I remember my Mom got it, with the one sided 45 of an additional song that couldn't fit on the double! It was a hot summer, full of hydrants spraying kids on bikes, steaming cement, and hot humid days of trees barely weaving from the hot air.
Last night Stevie came back home. He immersed himself deeply into what I think is his strongest and most inspirational albums. Intricate backing vocals arranged in a soul/gospel choir. Luscious warm strings. Not synth strings, but warm honey strings. Incredible band!
Stevie didn't just stay slavish to the originals, yet kept them true and to the core. Just longer versions with some great jamming.
Joy Inside My Tears. My goodness. The heart and soul of the entire show. He extended the ending jam and vocal to a stunning close where the Detroit boy shook his head and started crying. Joy INSIDE MY TEARS. It was some of the most captivating heart felt singing and playing I have ever heard. Stunningly beautiful.
My only gripe, and a slight one was, after the album was done he continued and became a DJ for the entire stadium. Great idea! And for a while very compelling creating a house party in Joe Louis arena! Everyone up and singing and dancing. And he was spinning DETROIT. Dancing in the Street, Cool Jerk, My Girl, and even Slim Shady. Yet, then he went on to do a melody of some if his most important songs, like Higher Ground and Uptight...yet he didn't do the entire song, and I wondered if he would have played a few less DJ songs he might have done his songs instead. But a minor quibble after seeing a stretched out menacingly deep hot Detroit Funk, SUPERSTITIOUS. It was incendiary and left my knees aching until this afternoon.
What a party! I drove for four hours through Michigan's first full on blizzard of the Winter season. Full on white outs, people driving with their hazards on. I passed 10 cars, I counted, spun out into ditches or hillsides. I pulled into the Renaissance Marriot on the river and kissed my steering wheel. And I couldn't help but notice, as everyone was filing out of the stadium into the blowing snow, no one was cold. Stevie brought the hot summer back for a night of a simmering hot funk stew.
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gimmelittledrink
People overuse the phrase 'musical genius,' but Stevie's certainly one. He may be the best songwriter alive.