It is April 16th at the Palace Theatre in Stamford, CT. Onstage are two back-up singers, a wind instrument musician, two guitar players, a keyboardist, a pianist, drummer and percussionist, and a string quartet named The Smoke Angels. Who comes onstage when the music reaches a fever pitch? Smokey Robinson!
Smokey Robinson, who started singing at age eleven with the Five Chimes, has continued performing into his 86th year. Hoping to be discovered when they auditioned for Jackie Wilson's manager, they were sent home. Then this random man in the theatre caught them before they left. "Where did you get those songs you did?" Smokey said he wrote them. "I liked a couple of them very much. My name is Berry Gordy." The group were in their 20's and destiny made them The Miracles. Ultimately, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
Smokey glides and slinks across the stage. The front row ogles and cheers as he circles his hips and waves his arms highlighting lyrics and music he recorded and performed throughout decades.
This is the 67th year for Motown and Smokey makes it clear that "It is obvious Motown started 30 years before I was born." A fast hush and then the audience releases their laughter.
The show starts a bit late. There were sound issues with the opening video. It is a Thursday night, and I have just under an hour travel time and a 5:00 AM wake up for school. I know I will need to leave before the show ends, but I watch almost two hours and then sneak out to walk to the parking garage.
A picture of Smokey's new cd is projected onto the scrim. Uh, huh, what??? It is called GASMS. A ripple of snickers passes around the audience. Smokey responds with, "Yes. That's exactly right. We all have our own favorite gasms." When he performs GASMS #1, he points out a few: Bass gasms, drum gasms, keyboard gasms, guitar gasms. I told this story to my school bus driver the next morning and she did the same thing as that night's audience: froze in her seat, had a puzzled look on her face, and then said, "You're kidding me, right?" Nope!
Smokey has a strong performance and skilled band. His voice is smooth and on point. Here are a few of the songs he sang.
Being With You
I Second That Emotion
You Really Got A Hold On Me
The Way You Do (The Things You Do)
Get Ready
My Girl
GASMS #1
Ooo Baby Baby
Fly Me to the Moon
Tears of a Clown
A late weekday night followed by a very early morning. By 6:15 Friday evening, I could not keep my eyes open. Very worth it.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
NE Correspondent
Forgotten Hits
Who doesn’t love the music of Smokey Robinson?!?!
I have been tempted several times in the past to go see him in concert but never actually pulled the trigger. I guess I was always afraid that there was no way he could duplicate his sweet, soulful, unique voice live on stage at his age.
But then I saw this Tiny Desk Concert from a couple of years ago and said, “Man, this guy can still sing!!! So I appreciate your review. (I think Smokey was just here a month or two ago … maybe next time I’ll actually get up off my butt and go to the show!!! Lol) Thanks, Shelley! (kk)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WG_-0Qh3kc&list=RD5WG_-0Qh3kc&start_radio=1
And, from Chuck Buell, this Cinco De Mayo memory from long, long ago ...
