Soul music legends Richie snd Earth, Wind, and Fire are currently on a nationwide arena tour
It was a night packed with soul music in the at Capital One Arena in DC on Friday (Aug 18th). Two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers comprised this co-headline bill called the 2023 Sing A Song All Night Long Tour.
First up were Earth, Wind, and Fire (EWF). Phillip Baileyโs legendary falsetto is still in pristine condition, some 50-plus years after EWF first mixed high harmonies and a funky groove. He stunned the crowd by reaching the edge of his multi-octave range on โKalimba Storyโ without cracking.
But the showstopper was bass player Verdine White, brother of late lead singer and EWF founder Maurice White. Verdine felt every note he plucked out, taking center stage to let the music move him on a super fun solo. His infectious smile and silky hair reaching the back row.
EWFโs set was a trip back to the 70โs, with matching stage close and bell bottoms that would have been right at home back then. The band was clearly using costuming to communicate the timelessness of their music. another throwback. Rather than loop any element of their musicโas has become too common a trendโEWF has elected to travel with full percussion and horn sections. Of course, earworm โSeptemberโ had everyone up and partying.
Early on in their set, Bailey told the DC crowd, โYou embraced us first,โ way back when they were starting out. By the looks of it, the DMV has stayed loyal to the group for over half a century.
Lionel Richie emerged in a white band-leader type coat shortly after 9:15. Richieโs charisma radiated from the first notes of โHello,โ which the crowd sang back almost louder than the crooner himself.
Richie is one of only a handful of Motown-era artists still performing at the arena level. His songs have crossed from being soul music standards into being a part of American pop culture. Hear Richieโs name and what comes to mind? Is it a moment with your lover listening to โEasy,โ or is it that time you were three strong drinks in at a wedding and โBrick Houseโ came on, your tie came off, and you got down on the dance floor? We all have a โLionel Richie moment.โ
This is something the Oscar-winner knows. Heโs leaned into it for this tour, labeling it, โSing along All Night Long.โ Every hit was present in the 20-song set, including a buoyant rendition of this reporterโs favorite, โDancinโ on the Ceiling.โ (My Lionel Richie moment: โDancinโโ was my โLincoln tunnel songโโI listened to it every trip to NYC growing up. Iโd start it when we hit the tunnel, and by the time we reached the other side, the song had hit its final note. A bus ride tradition. I know. Iโm weird.)
Richieโs vocals are timeless. Rich and buttery, yet knowing. His register plants his voice squarely in the middle. Not Luther Vandross low, nor Phillip Bailey high, itโs the perfect voice for the emotions in songs like โJust to Be Close to You,โ or the desire in โAll Night Long.โ
On this night however, Richie seemed to be plagued by audio issues with his microphone. There was a muffling affect that was nearly unbearable to listen to when he talked, and distorted is strong singing unnecessarily. Itโs unclear if this was an intentional effect in the microphone, or the result of a blown subwoofer or speaker stack. Weโve reached out to Live Nation and Richieโs team over Twitter for comment, and will follow up next week. (My endless curiosity needs to know what this was.) l am hoping it was an unfortunate glitch, with Richie pressing on as the pro he is.
Richie stopped down the show to talk to a young kid, telling him, โwhat youโre seeing is grown people losing their minds and acting crazy.โ He continued to joke, โEverything they tell you not to do, theyโre doing tonight.โ This observation was met with cheers and laughter.
Richie stacked the middle of his show with Commodore hits. โFancy Dancerโ followed โThree Times a Lady,โ and Richie said that โZoomโ was written at a time when he wasnโt sure which direction his life would take. Whatโs clear is that several decades later, this music is still very personal for Lionel Richie.
The highlight of the night came in the last song of the main set, when Richie performed the storied USA for Africa charity single, โWe Are the World.โ Itโs a staple of his shows that, he once told CBS News, he considered โMichael Jacksonโs song.โ He said he felt it appropriate to pick up the mantle when Jackson passed. The song is in perfect hands to live on.
By the time Richie reached his seminal song, โAll Night Long,โ it was clear that 20,000 people in DC would indeed be singing the rest of the night. For they had all had a โLionel Richie momentโ with the man himself.