Live Review: Solid Soul at The Vets
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Two leading ladies in popular music rocked The Vets Sunday night as their “Solid Soul” tour stopped off in Providence. Mavis Staples and Joan Osborne impressed mightily, showing a lot of heart and soul with separate sets of originals and classics.
Joan Osborne
Joan Osborne opened the show with a well crafted 7 song set. Her selections prove she’s comfortable in Rock, Blues, R&B and Soul, and she sang two new songs with a decidedly Jazz bent.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTHighlights included the opener “St. Teresa,” a gem from her multi platinum debut album Relish (1996), recently re-released with added material. Osborne exhibited her vocal range on the tune which tells the heartbreaking story of a street corner drug dealer forced to keep watch over her baby daughter while she conducts business.
“Sit down on the corner, just a little crime; When I make my money, got to get my dime.
Sit down with her baby, wind is full of trash; She bold as the street light, dark and sweet as hash.”
The rumbling bass line meant the Rolling Stones classic “Shake Your Hips” was up next, a sultry roadhouse version that might even make Mick Jagger blush. A soulful version of the Grateful Dead classic “Brokedown Palace” followed. Osborne noted that in addition to singing it on stage with The Dead, she recorded the tune on her album Pretty Little Stranger (2006). It’s a song that seems made for her voice.
A major part of her 45 minute set included two new songs from her recent release Love and Hate. Osborne described it as an album of songs “about all aspects of relationships.” She impressed with the Jazz infused “Where We Start” and followed with “Work on Me,” a song based on the Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.”
A mainly acoustic version of "One of Us" was another show highlight. Her most well known song holds up well, energized by the stellar backing band. Her set ended with the bluesy “Rhymes/I Can’t Let it Get Me Down,” a tune based on an Etta James standard.
For Osborne, each song feels like a unique performance - there’s not a note wasted, or a sentiment spared.
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples overwhelmed the slightly undersized crowd (c’mon Providence, show some respect!); however, those present were not under-enthused. With the fervor of a religious revival meeting, she captivated the audience with songs from different points in her 65 year career. (Recalling numerous appearances at Newport Folk, she even suggested we contact George Wein about getting a tent for a revival meeting there - not a bad idea!)
Staples is music royalty, the youngest member of a leading family in modern music. She toured with the Staple Singers, led by her father Pops Staples in the 1950’s as a Gospel act and later became a leading Civil Rights activist. In the 1970’s, the Staple Singers took on a more R&B sound and reached the top of the charts with “I’ll Take You There,” and “Let’s Do It Again.” Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, she resurrected her career in the 21st century with several top albums and guest appearances. In 2010, she was honored with her first Grammy Award for the Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) produced You are Not Alone.
She opened with a Staple Singers classic “If You’re Ready Come Go With Me.” A funky version of the Talking Heads “Slippery People” (“cool down, stop acting crazy”) was next, a song you might not expect to hear from a former Gospel singer. Her crack backing band led by guitarist Rick Holmstrom really brought it on - it was a highlight of her set.
A couple of recent songs also stood out. “You are Not Alone,” is a pleasing ballad from her Grammy winning album which introduced Staples to whole new audience. She also tore up the arena on “Fight,” a 2015 song penned by neo-Soul artist Son Little.
Her set really heated up with the gospel classic “Wade in the Water,” with Staples baptizing the Providence crowd. She then welcomed Osborne back to the stage for the traditional “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” which turned into a full sing-a-long with 100% participation. Staples noted “it was the very first song my father taught us.”
The show closed with the 1971 R&B/Soul hit, “I’ll Take You There,” with Osborne helping out on background vocals. A soulful end to a soulful evening.
A Soulful Evening
Pairing Osborne and Staples on the Solid Soul tour was a good strategy. The artists complement each other and the mutual respect they share was evident.
“Solid Soul” was unquestionably a solid night of music. Although we frequently overuse the term, Staples is a true music legend and Osborne is an authentic songwriter who triumphs in diverse genres. Veterans Memorial Auditorium (The Vets) is a grand venue, especially suited for these two soulful artists. Check out their schedule of upcoming popular and classical concerts here.
Ken Abrams review roots, rock and blues for GoLocal. E-mail comments here.
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