LIVE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
Al Green is Timeless
Matt Jameson
Nothing can be finer than an outdoor show in mid June, especially when wine is involved! Sunday June 19th I found myself carrying my fully stocked cooler up a steep hill to an outdoor venue called the Britt Gardens Festival in Jacksonville, Oregon. Regionally this venue is a virtual Mecca for locals and tourists hoping to catch a live show at a unique venue. This would be no average concert however; no this was living legend Al green backed by a few members of his original band – as well as his own daughter on back up vocals. Being a long time Al Green fan I was simply blown away when I found out he was coming, and went in with expectations of the highest order. With this exciting building I sat down and opened the first bottle of wine, and prepared for a once in a lifetime experience.
The show was opened by an act known as “The Campbell Brothers”, quite reminiscent of Robert Randolph and the Family Band. The group consisted of 6 musicians who played various recognizable covers and a few original tunes as well. Unfortunately even though they were very good – the crowd was simply counting the minutes until the main act would perform.
The word of the night was “presence”. The moment Al Green appeared on stage the crowd went off like firecrackers in a burning match factory. The energy was intense, and lasted up until the final note of the final song performed. The title of living legend is a hard one to earn now days. Not only does Al green deserve this title, but he earned it right there on stage in front of my eyes. He was enigmatic, charming, and engaging all at the same time. Not one to ignore his age, Al was quick to make the following statement, “Let’s see if the kid still got it.” With that said, he then proved that he is still as talented as ever by way of a quick demonstration of his impressive vocal scale.
Watching his performance I could not help but wonder what it must have been like to catch an Al Green show during 72, the height of his career. If his current show is any indicator of past performance, then he certainly earned every penny he made from his wonderful music. Still the consummate ladies man, Al repeatedly threw white roses from the stage to many of his female fans both old and young. There were literally points during his show that he affected every woman in the crowd at the same time. It was like they were all watching a live Brad Pitt strip show – yet Al had them just as excited without removing any of his clothing. It was absolutely amazing to witness. At this point I had finished my bottle of wine, yet still unknowingly held on to an empty wine glass as I sat stunned by this exceptional performance.
I would recommend catching Al Green’s live show to anyone regardless of age. There was something for everyone, and no doubt Al generated a few new fans out of the younger attendees. With a literally flawless performance Al Green exited the stage by thanking his fans, and paying homage to the heavens above for granting him such musical ability. A true class act, and most likely one of the greatest shows I will ever have the chance to see.
More Live Performance Reviews...
