You'd be hard-pressed to find a better concert pairing than this!
While I've never really considered going to a Steve Winwood concert before, he certainly proved to be a strong and stirring attraction, opening for The Doobie Brothers at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, IL, last Sunday Night (August 25th)
Looking more like an accountant than the rock icon he truly is, Winwood just came out and played his set ... ten songs spanning his entire career ... and what a career it has been.
From The Spencer Davis Group, Steve did "I'm A Man" and closed the show with "Gimme Some Lovin'"; Blind Faith was represented with a beautiful presentation of "Can't Find My Way Home," featuring his daughter Lilly on supporting vocals; Traffic provided us with "Glad," the show opener, "40,000 Headsmen" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy" ... and all of this before he treated us to a selection of hits from his solo career, which account for some of the biggest he's ever had ... "Roll With It," "Back In The High Life Again" and "Higher Love." Early on, he also performed an excellent cover version of the 1972 Timmy Thomas hit, "Why Can't We Live Together." (For the record, "Roll With It" and "Higher Love" both went to #1 in 1988 and 1986 respectively, with "Higher Love" also winning the Grammy for Record Of The Year.) When one considers that Winwood launched his career with The Spencer Davis Group when he was just fifteen years old, it really is quite remarkable that his greatest chart success came some twenty years later as a solo artist!
Just a short, ten-song set, but incredibly strong throughout. (I was amazed to see Winwood change instruments throughout the set ... from piano to guitar to organ to mandolin ... and taking the lead solos on all of them! I had no idea he was that versatile a performer.)
All-in-all, a very enjoyable performance ... in fact, I enjoyed his show better than the headliners'!!!
But The Doobie Brothers proved that they can still bring it, too, after all these years.
With Patrick Simmons (the only guy who never left!), Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and John McFee all on board, the band didn't miss a beat, running through hit after hit. (Special props to Marc Russo on sax, too ... his driving force never stopped, enhancing each and every song along the way.)
I have to admit that The Doobies lost me a couple of times with their deep tracks and new material ("Here To Love You," "Dependin' On You," "Cannonball," "Sweet Maxine," "Eyes Of Silver," "World Gone Crazy" ... and bringing Lilly Winwood back out to sing "It Keeps Your Runnin'" after Michael McDonald sang "You Belong To Me," both of which are probably just as well known as Carly Simon songs today as they are Doobie Brothers songs.)
I realize the band has to please themselves as well as their fans ... and they do have new music to promote ... but I honestly think these "interruptions" would have been more tolerable had they been spaced out throughout the show rather than being presented together in clumps ... as it really slowed down the momentum of the show, having to listen to even two of these in a row.
And let me just say that although Michael McDonald's presence there was certainly a big drawing factor with this Chicago crowd (which was evident throughout the concert), his lead vocals seemed to be held to a minimum ("Minute By Minute," "What A Fool Believes" and the encore of "Takin' It To The Streets") while the "early Doobie Brothers" sound of Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons dominated the set. ("Take Me In Your Arms," "Rockin' Down The Highway," ""Without You," "Jesus Is Just Alright," "Long Train Runnin'," "China Grove," "Black Water" and "Listen To The Music."
Steve Winwood came back out for The Doobies' encore and performed "Amazing Grace," "Takin' It To The Streets" and "Listen To The Music" with the band.
"Black Water" (never one of my favorites, despite its #1 status) sounded great, with McFee moving to "fiddle" ... McFee also took the lead vocal on "One Step Closer," a GREAT Forgotten Hit from 1980 that peaked at #24 on all three national charts.
A high-energy show from start to finish ... and a great night of music overall on a very warm Chicago night. (kk)
60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
9/1/64 - Masanori Murakami became the first Japanese player to appear in an American major league baseball game, coming to the mound during the 8th inning as a relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants in their game at Shea Stadium against the New York Mets. (Have you noticed how many 1964 baseball milestones include these lovable losers?!?!)
During his brief first appearance, "Mashi" Murakami struck out two players and allowed one single in his team's 4-1 loss to the Mets. Murakami would pitch one more season for The Giants before returning to Japan.
