Saturday night was AMAZING. I went with a group of friends to see Stevie Wonder @ Madison Square Garden and it was the best concert I have ever seen in my life! I haven't been able to say that about any show I've ever seen until now.
His mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, died last year. During the show he talked about her and to her; he explained that she gave him a push from beyond, telling him to start touring again. (He's been touring the United States since August, his first American tour in more than 10 years.) That because of fans making him successful that he was able to give his mother a better a life. Then he smiled and said because we loved him so much he was going now "Love you back".
Already people were crying and the first song of the night couldn't have been more fitting, as Stevie began to play "Love's In Need of Love Today" the entire place broke down in tears. Song one and it starts like this, oh man what a ride. The next few songs out of the gate set up what was to be one the greatest shows ever:
2. Too High
3. Visions
4. Livin' for the City (Many of the concession staff put down their trays and left their posts to throw down in the aisles during this one.)
5. Master Blaster
During "Master Blaster" Stevie started playing the talk box and jammed through some classic funk and motown hits that included "New York, New York", "What's Going On", "Ain't No Stopping Us Now", "We Want The Funk", and "We Are Family". At this point about 1/3 of the way into the show everyone was getting down and feeling the funk. To close out this section, after a short pause, Stevie launched into "Higher Ground" as the crowd erupted yet again into a mass of excitement.
In a seamless style Stevie transitioned into the middle portion of the show and brought everyone back down for a full on love fest playing what would have made the coldest hearts feel love.
7. Golden Lady
8. Ribbon in the Sky - During this song he was able to get NYC singing and had the audience singing different vocal and rhythm parts.
9. Overjoyed
10. If it's Magic
11. You & I
12. Lately
13. How Will I Know w/ Aisha Morris
Through out this entire section lovers held hands, friends hugged and everyone got just a little closer to the person next to them. Songs after song he touched places inside of your heart that no other musician has ever been able to do. "Nothing is done in part with his music but in whole. When the men in his songs think of their women, they don't do half-measures. They speak, backed with the forces of history and nature. They say things like, "I feel like this is the beginning/Though I've loved you for a million years." - nytimes
At this point it was time to bring the show into the final section of the night, and Stevie built the crowd for what would be one of the greatest musical moments I have ever experienced in my life.
14. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
15. Signed Sealed Delivered - Ran back to my seat after going to get some drinks passed dancing everywhere by everyone.
16. My Cherie Amour
This lead to the next big high point of the night. "For Once In My Life" performed as both a solo and a duet with the legendary Tony Bennett. New Yorkers love Tony and showed showed him so with thunderous applause and cheers. This was a moving tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.
18. Boogie on Reggae Woman
19. Sir Duke
20. I Wish
21. You Are the Sunshine of My Life
Ok if you are music fan and and love music and know whose who and have been around for a while. You might think that you have seen the greats, have witnessed the funk, rocked out harder than the rockstars and generally feel like you have been there and done that. I thought so to until now...
22. Supersition - Stevie is hammering away at the opening piano riff driving the groove like a man possessed. Say "Let me bring another friend out" Who comes to the stage? Mother fucking PRINCE!!
The crowd freaked out and then freaked out again!! I just about fell out of my chair and the lady next to me and my friend had to duck to avoid getting hit by our hand as we jumped up and down and shouted with excitement.
I couldn't tell you what happened after that other than I remember Stevie announcing the band and saying a final word to the audience that amounted to him giving a message to all the haters in the world who didn't want to experience love.
"Here we are in 2007, and we're still practicing the same bad habits that we had centuries ago. We love the God that we serve, whether we are Christian, Muslim, Jewish or whatever we might be, and we still ask our God to give us the right to kill in his name. It's unacceptable. I can't believe it."
ending with
"Hate is unacceptable, If you can't do nothing but hate, why don't you go on and die and go to hell!"
wow... I mean come on. The show was spectacular, emotional and filled with so many highs and lows that your soul felt truly touched and you know that were apart of something so much bigger and that love was everywhere. I can see how reading this you might think, ok, enough with the love. But that's that what Stevie shares though his music. That you can never have enough love in your life.
I will not soon forget that show. Nobody wanted to leave, the crowd just stood there cheering for several minutes. The lights came on and slowly reality began to creep back in. It's fitting to end this with what collectively could be felt.
"You can feel it all over, you can feel it all over"
**Setlist may not be 100% accurate (missing songs).
His mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, died last year. During the show he talked about her and to her; he explained that she gave him a push from beyond, telling him to start touring again. (He's been touring the United States since August, his first American tour in more than 10 years.) That because of fans making him successful that he was able to give his mother a better a life. Then he smiled and said because we loved him so much he was going now "Love you back".
Already people were crying and the first song of the night couldn't have been more fitting, as Stevie began to play "Love's In Need of Love Today" the entire place broke down in tears. Song one and it starts like this, oh man what a ride. The next few songs out of the gate set up what was to be one the greatest shows ever:
2. Too High
3. Visions
4. Livin' for the City (Many of the concession staff put down their trays and left their posts to throw down in the aisles during this one.)
5. Master Blaster
During "Master Blaster" Stevie started playing the talk box and jammed through some classic funk and motown hits that included "New York, New York", "What's Going On", "Ain't No Stopping Us Now", "We Want The Funk", and "We Are Family". At this point about 1/3 of the way into the show everyone was getting down and feeling the funk. To close out this section, after a short pause, Stevie launched into "Higher Ground" as the crowd erupted yet again into a mass of excitement.
In a seamless style Stevie transitioned into the middle portion of the show and brought everyone back down for a full on love fest playing what would have made the coldest hearts feel love.
7. Golden Lady
8. Ribbon in the Sky - During this song he was able to get NYC singing and had the audience singing different vocal and rhythm parts.
9. Overjoyed
10. If it's Magic
11. You & I
12. Lately
13. How Will I Know w/ Aisha Morris
Through out this entire section lovers held hands, friends hugged and everyone got just a little closer to the person next to them. Songs after song he touched places inside of your heart that no other musician has ever been able to do. "Nothing is done in part with his music but in whole. When the men in his songs think of their women, they don't do half-measures. They speak, backed with the forces of history and nature. They say things like, "I feel like this is the beginning/Though I've loved you for a million years." - nytimes
At this point it was time to bring the show into the final section of the night, and Stevie built the crowd for what would be one of the greatest musical moments I have ever experienced in my life.
14. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
15. Signed Sealed Delivered - Ran back to my seat after going to get some drinks passed dancing everywhere by everyone.
16. My Cherie Amour
This lead to the next big high point of the night. "For Once In My Life" performed as both a solo and a duet with the legendary Tony Bennett. New Yorkers love Tony and showed showed him so with thunderous applause and cheers. This was a moving tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.
18. Boogie on Reggae Woman
19. Sir Duke
20. I Wish
21. You Are the Sunshine of My Life
Ok if you are music fan and and love music and know whose who and have been around for a while. You might think that you have seen the greats, have witnessed the funk, rocked out harder than the rockstars and generally feel like you have been there and done that. I thought so to until now...
22. Supersition - Stevie is hammering away at the opening piano riff driving the groove like a man possessed. Say "Let me bring another friend out" Who comes to the stage? Mother fucking PRINCE!!
The crowd freaked out and then freaked out again!! I just about fell out of my chair and the lady next to me and my friend had to duck to avoid getting hit by our hand as we jumped up and down and shouted with excitement.
I couldn't tell you what happened after that other than I remember Stevie announcing the band and saying a final word to the audience that amounted to him giving a message to all the haters in the world who didn't want to experience love.
"Here we are in 2007, and we're still practicing the same bad habits that we had centuries ago. We love the God that we serve, whether we are Christian, Muslim, Jewish or whatever we might be, and we still ask our God to give us the right to kill in his name. It's unacceptable. I can't believe it."
ending with
"Hate is unacceptable, If you can't do nothing but hate, why don't you go on and die and go to hell!"
wow... I mean come on. The show was spectacular, emotional and filled with so many highs and lows that your soul felt truly touched and you know that were apart of something so much bigger and that love was everywhere. I can see how reading this you might think, ok, enough with the love. But that's that what Stevie shares though his music. That you can never have enough love in your life.
I will not soon forget that show. Nobody wanted to leave, the crowd just stood there cheering for several minutes. The lights came on and slowly reality began to creep back in. It's fitting to end this with what collectively could be felt.
"You can feel it all over, you can feel it all over"
**Setlist may not be 100% accurate (missing songs).
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
nadzofsteel:
Never enough love. 
jay_blank:
Incredible. Sounds like it was the show of the century.