Upside My Head (Pay Attention Now): I cried, Stevie Wonder

Monday, March 30, 2015

I cried, Stevie Wonder - a review

Last night I was one of the 13,000 people lucky enough to take in Stevie Wonder at the Target Center in Minneapolis, a part of his Songs in the Key of Life Tour. The concert was three plus hours long and worth every. single. minute.

I came of age in the '70s, so Stevie's music helped shaped the landscape (and soundscape) of my life. Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life in particular were on my record player continuously (I have the old albums - they are so scratched and worn), and his music is still on regular rotation in my mixes and streaming music today. He's a musical genius, as we all know, and his songs have endured.

So I had high anticipation for this concert, but was a bit worried about our seats, in the upper decks and far from the stage. Surprisingly, for the Target Center, the acoustics were amazing and Stevie's voice was as soulful and full as ever. He had a 40 plus piece band/orchestra with him that he worked like a maestro conducting a symphony - while also playing and singing! When he needed the strings section, he brought them up, or the horns, the drums, or the vocalists. Or everybody for some joyous noise. Our ears were flooded with sound and it was beautiful. Our seats were more than fine.

I've seen other legends perform and sometimes, while the music is good, it feels like they are on autopilot, singing the same songs they have sung for decades, and performing as much for the money and ego as anything else.

Not Stevie. He was present, and deeply engaged in the music. He reminded us all that we were all experiencing this evening together, only us, only this evening. He played with love. I broke into tears more than once. He was singing about love from the heart - his heart. How could you not be moved?

He stayed true to Songs in the Key of Life, opening with "Love's in Need of Love Today," setting the stage for a journey of music, love, and hope. If that sounds corny. I don't care. I cried during "Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing," "Joy Inside My Tears," and especially during his tribute to harpist Dorothy Ashby (who has passed away from cancer), with "If it's Magic," where he sang to the original harp track she created for the song. I think he was crying, too.

Thank you, Stevie Wonder, for your brilliance, your enduring music, and your gracious generosity last night as you brought us all home with you. Much love and respect.