The band joined in though, singing along. The band finished with "Lay My Burden Down," dashing my hopes that Mavis would emerge to join John for a song. John and band gave "Saints" another reading, but they cast it in a different light, playing the song in a minor key and giving it an eerie, strange feeling, like maybe you wouldn't want the saints to go marching in to your house. He even strapped on a guitar for "One Dirty Woman," something not particularly common.
Rebennack tapped his foot wildly as the set went on, alternating between organ and piano, sometimes playing both. Armed with drummer Shannon "The King of Treme" Powell, guitarist John Fohl, and bassist/vocalist David Barard, he also explored songs from his creepy, voodoo inspired Night Tripper days, like "I Walk on Guilded Splinters," my favorite song of his set. "Feel Good Music," from his latest record, Tribal, found John in good form.
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John's set was lighter on banter than Mavis', but still plenty funky.Fresh off his collaborations with The Meters, Allen Toussaint, and The Black Keys at Bonnaroo - it's rumored John is working on an album with the Keys - Mac Rebennack simply did what he does best: twinkle the piano, play fuzzy lead riffs on the organ, croon with his signature rasp, and generally appear to be the coolest guy in the world. Taking the stage in a purple suit and leaning on a feather covered walking stick, recent Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dr. At 71, she still has command of her fans, and I can think of no one more qualified to hold sway over a room of people. Staples' energy was boundless, and the crowd responded by dancing, cheering and clapping. She returned to the mic for "I Belong to the Band," which got the crowd on its feet, before wrapping up with The Staples Singers hit "I'll Take You There." The crowd called back every word. It gave Mavis a chance to catch her breath, but she could hardly sit still, clapping along and dancing in her seat to the music.
"I get to acting ugly sometimes," she joked, "But when the spirit moves you, you move!" Staples took a brief break, while Holmstrom, bassist Jeff Turmes, and drummer Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits, Mike Watt, Jonathan Richman) performed two instrumental songs. King's dream is realized." The crowd cheered, and she added, "Everything is going to be alright. "We're going to keep marching," she cried. She sang "Freedom Highway," one of the defining songs of the Civil Rights movement, noting that her father wrote it for "The Big March" in 1962. She made reference to the concert film, stating how great it was to be a part of the filming.
I never imagined I would have the pleasure of hearing Staples sing "The Weight," which she famously performed with The Band in Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz. Staples tended toward material from last year's Grammy-winning album You Are Not Alone, (produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy), giving stirring readings to the Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Wrote a Song for Everyone," offering a funky take on "Creep Along Moses," bringing a hush to the crowd with the title track, and getting down on the raucous "Only the Lord Knows."īut it was songs from her illustrious past that truly made the night feel monumental. Staples seemed sick, coughing between songs, but you would never know it from her vocals on songs like the opener, "Wonderful Savior," which found her and her backing band performing the gospel standard a cappella. Staples had a trio of backup singers with her, who added beautiful harmonies to the bass/drums/guitar trio and Mavis' still-unbelievably-impressive voice. Guitarist Rick Holmstrom led the band through Mavis' catalog, often illustrating why Mavis calls him "Pops Jr.," as he finger-picked out twangy blues licks and understated melodies. The Staples Band was remarkably stripped down. I was surprised that Mavis would play first, but both artists acted as headliners, playing equal-length sets.
Mavis Staples," the woman marched onstage to applause. Taking the stage to the announcement, "Please welcome Dr. I profiled how the two musicians have always been very different in t his week's print issue, but after seeing them last night, my first time seeing both performers, I can't state enough how wonderful a pairing the two made. The 70-year-old singer brought a different flavor than Staples, favoring a more mysterious, New Orleans-soaked vibe. John, also known as Mac Rebennack, had fun, too. Staples - "Are you all having fun? Mavis is goin' to have fun."ĭr. It can be summed up by another quote from Ms. It's an apt characterization, one that is appropriately loaded with gospel history, and one that connotes how the 71-year-old singer approaches performing. "Joyful noise." That's how Mavis Staples described what her and her band create onstage.
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