I met two attractive and willowy millennials after the concert in the powder room. They took one look at my salt and pepper hair, smiled, and asked a bit incredulously if I enjoyed the John Legend concert. I guess I looked a little over aged for the demographic target of the audience. I smiled back and nodded, and they responded "Cool!" and continued, "wasn't he just pure talent, no gimmick? It was sooo worth it."
Indeed, the concert last Friday evening, the 26th of September, at the old reliable Smart Araneta Coliseum, featuring pianist, songwriter, and singer John Legend in his All of Me tour, was an unmitigated success, and a thoroughly enjoyable experience regardless of whether one was young enough to know him and his music or young at heart enough to try.
Though it started typically nearly forty five minutes late and lasted typically an hour and a half long, the concert was ninety minutes of pure magic.
John Legend, erstwhile investment planner, happily gave up his day job to reveal his genius and passion.... He is a piano virtuoso whose mastery of the ivory keys is phenomenal. It seemed as if even his fingers were talking and singing, inspired by a grandmother whose own keyboard skills were honed playing beautiful music for worship and church. He is also a remarkable singer and vocalist, with a seductive voice that is at times powerful, at times almost fragile, at times demanding, at times yielding, at times resounding with yearning, at times, slightly hoarse and raspy with emotion, but always clear, eloquent, and expressive, honed by years of singing gospel music. He is of course a moving songwriter, having written songs that accurately depict and reflect the heights and depths of the human soul preoccupied with and committed to finding and celebrating love. Above all else, he is an elegant performer, without pretentious and unnecessary moves and choreography, or endless costume changes that one finds in many local concerts. It was just as the two young girls had said, "no gimmick, pure talent, sooo worth it."
For ninety non stop minutes, he managed to create an intimate encounter with 16,000 people feeling he was singing for, talking to, and playing just for them. For an hour and a half, he spoke and serenaded soothingly, unhurriedly, and simply, talking and crooning about his childhood, his early years in the music business, his family, his grandmother, his love life, and what have you, without missing a beat or playing a single false note. He played every hit of his unbelievable career and even some oldies, like the iconic Bridge Over Troubled Water of Simon and Garfunckel, and Michael Jackson's Rock With You, with feeling and a gentle, irresistible sway and swag. But it was when he played his two uber hits "Ordinary People" and "All of Me", that he literally brought the house down, as thousands heaved poignant sighs and sang with him!
Yes, it was a magical night. Not even the slightly dilapidated coliseum could detract from the perfection of the evening. The Coliseum was in rare acoustic form...or perhaps the artist and his team took no chances with the sound system. Every note of every instrument was crystal clear... from the drums to the lead guitar to the bass guitar, to the chamber quartet of violins, viola, and cello...the harmony was the best it could have been...the runs were magnificent, no pops, and no static, no ear shattering snap crackle and pop.
Never mind that the most awaited song, the title of the tour, was performed as an encore. Never mind that he threw in some new songs that were less known than the expected playlist. Never mind that it started late, and lasted only an hour and a half. Never mind that Smart Araneta smelled as old as it looked. John Legend's performance that night was the stuff urban legends are made of. The title All of Me seemed to be appropriate, because it seemed he gave 101% to the show. It almost seemed as if he was living up to his name and the title of his biggest hit!
Though I am no millennial, though John Legend is not a household name for my generation, though I am probably more comfortable with
Elton John and Carole King to name some fabulously popular, fabulously talented but certifiably dated piano playing composers, though the two millennials were probably surprised that someone of my generation would enjoy John Legend, I am proud to say that if I had not been before, I definitely have become a fan...and though I didn't know all of his songs, I am definitely determined to learn them now.
I guess, talent is talent, genius is genius, magic is magic, whatever the age of the beholder.
