This year’s Taste of Chicago, which kicked off last week with performances from soul greats Stevie Wonder and Chaka Kahn, has opened its doors for the next generation of soul and R&B performers. And the fact that Chicago is in the running for the 2016 summer Olympics, let’s just say that the torch has been handed off to the vivacious Joss Stone.
A tad after 6:30 in the evening, Stone’s band—a nine-member ensemble, or ten if you count the lady doing sign language off to the side—stepped into position wearing head-to-toe white clothing, which couldn’t have been more appropriate for this impeccable evening in Grant Park. The band played for a minute or two then Joss Stone appeared to cheers of thousands of fans, launching right into “Girl They Won’t Believe It” from last year’s Introducing Joss Stone.
Pacing back and forth so every captivated eye could get a closer look at this somehow-only-21-year-old girl, she belted out each note as if she’s been doing this since the 1950s while signed to a multi-album deal with Motown. After “Headturner” and the Common-less “Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now,” where she said to the crowd, “This song is shockingly about love,” she dove into the funky “Arms of My Baby.” The classic organ, horns, backup singers, and of course Stone herself, made us realize real fast that she’s not just mimicking an era but taking the soul and R&B sound of yesteryear and twisting, pulling and kneading each note and until it’s all her own.
Stone would often talk to the crowd, but the most amusing moment of the evening was when she was saying, “What’s this? What the hell is this?” pointing to the cavernous area between row one and the stage that was set up for photographers and press—now vacant. “Look at all this empty space. Can we get this stuff moved?” Stone obviously wanted the fans at arms length, where she could dance with them, sing with them, and if she really wanted, a few hundred more backup singers.
As she was charging through her setlist, it seemed as if she was making some changes on the fly, stating emphatically, “I don't wanna do a slow song yet, I wanna party!” then blasting into “Baby Baby Baby.” As the song ended she started talking about love, and how sometimes it’s great—but not always—“sometimes love is shit,” which goes without saying. But love, as she explained with a nervous laugh, “is the only reason I’m not in England right now. And it’s the reason you’re all here tonight. This song is about the love of my life…” Of course, the song was “Music,” which unfortunately was sans Lauren Hill. But when you have Stone’s vocal prowess, there was no need. The song had a way of burrowing into your soul, like she was forcing each and every person in the audience to feel what she feels about music. But once again, there was no need—her fans felt that way from the moment she took her first step on stage.
The night was unfortunately coming to a close and it was time for her band to shine the same way Stone has been for well over an hour. During “Tell Me ‘Bout It,” each member of her band had a chance to solo and take center stage. Beginning with the horns, she made her way clockwise around the stage, giving the bassist, drummer, keyboard player and each of her backup singers a chance to show the audience why they were most likely handpicked by Stone to play with her. The coolest moment was when the male backup singer busted out “Superstition,” which sounded eerily similar to Stevie Wonder, who was on that very stage a few days before. Then, a short and sweet, “Peace and love everybody!” and the soul-songstress disappeared behind the curtain. After a longer-than-normal break for an encore, Stone reappeared with her band to finish out the night, saying, “It’s too nice out to finish…it’s too light out to finish,” and completing the set with “Right to be Wrong” and a souled-out version of “No Woman No Cry,” while handing out white roses to the crowd to show her appreciation. But seeing her smile the way she does, that was all the thanks the crowd needed.
Artist:
www.jossstone.com
More on the Taste of Chicago 2008.
Album:
Joss Stone — Introducing Joss Stone. Buy it NOW on Amazon!
