John Legend is a minimalist with most expertise.
On Friday, June 21, the 45-year-old EGOT winner headlined at Atlantic Metropolis’s intimate but spacious and comfy but comfy Borgata On line casino Occasion Middle as a part of his ongoing, nationwide ‘An Night with John Legend Tour.’ Most impressively, Legend determined to forgo a backing band and backup singers, decreasing his entertaining one-man present to its most important parts: simply John Legend and a piano.
Sure, for practically two hours — together with a 15-minute intermission — it was simply Legend, a Yamaha, his songs and his tales.
No, it was by no means boring.
Much like Springsteen on Broadway, the affable showman opts to dig deep into his expansive again catalog, delivering acquainted hits, deep cuts and soul-stirring covers whereas weaving in feel-good tales from his life to clarify every observe’s significance.
It’s a troublesome high-wire act to take the stage all by your self, however Legend is a seasoned professional — he not solely put the viewers comfortable, he made the sold-out crowd really feel as if we have been chatting with him at an invitation solely cocktail occasion.
To begin, the live performance started a bit of after its 8 p.m. showtime. Lights dimmed on the smoky stage and Legend sauntered to the foreground. He waved a bit of wave, smiled, took a bow, jumped on the piano bench and started working on the keys.
When Legend’s legendary brassy baritone kicked in on the night’s opening observe “Save Room,” it was clear the Atlantic Metropolis viewers was in good fingers. His easy, soulful vocals are greater than an auditory pleasure to witness dwell. For our cash, listening to him linger on hook-y choruses dwell like “just a bit” is a hair-raising luxurious.
Following the jazzy opener, Legend jumped into his 2008 hit “Inexperienced Gentle.” Nonetheless, when performed dwell, Legend reimagines the electro-funk R&B smash as a substitute as an upbeat piano ballad, turning it right into a musical theater stomper, full with a refrain name and response with the gang. Very quickly, the all-ages crowd was taking turns singing “I’m able to go proper now” with the “The Voice” decide.
Now that he’d formally received us over, Legend switched issues up and pivoted into storytelling mode.
“Let’s return in time to the start,” our headliner introduced. “Who’s been with me since ‘Get Lifted’?” The gang roared.
Cheerful snapshots of a contented, sheltered childhood the place he was homeschooled by his mom and raised within the church led to the night time’s huge punchline:
“(I’m) undoubtedly going to hell for the songs I sang tonight.”
These humorous and infrequently heavy interstitials offered the glue for the night. And whereas they have been entertaining, Legend knew why his viewers had paid high greenback to see him dwell — they wished to listen to him belt.
And belt he did.
Most impressively, he made traditional rock anthems “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “God Solely Is aware of” and “Dancin’ In The Darkish” all his personal. If there have been ever a Karaoke Corridor of Fame, Legend would clearly be a first-ballot inductee. The person may sing about mortgage refinancing and it might work. His voice is that good.
As nice because the music and tales have been, day-one followers will seemingly stroll away from the present shaking their heads in any respect the unbelievable enjoyable info Legend shares about Stevie Marvel, Lauryn Hill, Kanye West, Jay Z, Oprah and extra.
Relatively than spoil the night time’s juiciest jaw-dropping particulars, we’d suggest you see Legend in individual. The music, the tales, the jokes, the title drops and the unflinching political scorching takes all make for an unimaginable dwell expertise that you just received’t need to miss when he involves a venue close to you (trace, trace, New York readers: he’ll be in Saratoga Springs on Aug. 7).
Whereas his spouse Chrissy Teigen didn’t present up (at the very least at our present), Legend positive does. Over practically two hours, he leaves every little thing he can and extra on the stage.
Not dangerous for a minimalist.
Last verdict: As Marc Maron so succinctly put it on Legend’s 2020 WTF episode, “Multi(ple) generations can take heed to a John Legend tune and revel in it the identical means.”
He’s not improper.
Whereas ‘An Night with John Legend’ typically feels at instances prefer it’s an audition for a Vegas residency, Legend by no means resorts to cheese or gimmicks. Like a fantastic scene in a movie simply wants two actors and a battle, all this extraordinary performer wants is his voice and his Yamaha.
Shut your eyes, lose your self within the music and ‘Get Lifted.’
John Legend tour schedule 2024
A whole calendar together with all ‘An Night with John Legend’ tour dates, venues and hyperlinks to purchase tickets will be discovered under.
John Legend tour dates |
---|
July 7 on the Schermerhorn Symphony Middle in Nashville, TN |
July 8 on the Schermerhorn Symphony Middle in Nashville, TN |
July 20 on the Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, WA |
July 21 on the Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, WA |
July 23 on the Davies Symphony Corridor in San Francisco, CA |
July 24 on the Davies Symphony Corridor in San Francisco, CA |
Aug. 2 on the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA |
Aug. 3 on the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA |
Aug. 7 on the Saratoga Performing Arts Middle in Saratoga Springs, NY |
Aug. 8 on the Blossom Music Middle in Cuyahoga Falls, OH |
Aug. 10 on the Turning Stone Resort and On line casino Occasion Middle in Verona, NY |
Aug. 11 on the Koka Sales space Amphitheatre in Cary, NC |
Aug. 15 at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in San Diego, CA |
Aug. 16 on the Thunder Valley On line casino Resort in Lincoln, CA |
Aug. 24 on the Dailys Place Amphitheater in Jacksonville, FL |
Aug. 25 on the Seminole Onerous Rock Resort and On line casino in Tampa, FL |
Sept. 7 on the Powell Symphony Corridor in St. Louis, MO |
Sept. 9 on the Ameris Financial institution Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, GA |
Sept. 10 on the Riverbend Music Middle in Cincinnati, OH |
Oct. 8 on the Neal S. Blaisdell Area in Honolulu, HI |
Oct. 13 on the Onerous Rock Reside in Hollywood, FL |
In regards to the Borgata in Atlantic Metropolis
Situated within the coronary heart of the marina district of Atlantic Metropolis, the Borgata Resort On line casino & Spa is a premium leisure, high-quality eating, playing and rest vacation spot.
The New York Put up toured the recently-renovated resort and located ourselves impressed with its a number of theaters —the On line casino Occasion Middle hosts the large names, the Music Field Theater options up-and-coming artists, traditional stars and comedians — 9 (!) eating places (together with the beautiful B Prime steakhouse that includes New Jersey’s first licensed Kobe beef and famed chef Aram Mardigian’s mouth-watering American Bar and Grille) and handful of swimming pools.
Mainly, it was all our journey love languages housed in a mammoth 161,000 sq. foot house.
And we haven’t even talked about the crème brûlée cheesecake, churro French toast and tiramisu pancakes on the premises but, both. Actually, we are able to’t wait to return.
Sound like the right summer season getaway?
You’ll be able to guide a keep on the Borgata right here.
John Legend set listing
On the present the New York Put up attended, Legend carried out a whopping 26 tracks with out lacking a beat.
For a more in-depth look, right here’s what he took to the Borgata stage on June 21:
01.) “Prelude”
02.) “Save Room”
03.) “PDA or Greenlight”
04.) “Tonight”
05.) “Take My Hand Treasured Lord”
06.) “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Simon and Garfunkel cowl)
07.) “Ribbon within the Sky” (Stevie Marvel cowl)
08.) “The whole lot Is The whole lot” (Lauryn Hill cowl)
09.) “Keep With You”
15-minute intermission
10.) “God Solely Is aware of” (Seashore Boys cowl)
11.) “Dancing In The Darkish” (Bruce Springsteen cowl)
12.) Kanye medley
13.) “Jesus Walks” (Kanye West cowl)
14.) “By no means Let Me Down”
15.) “Encore” (Jay Z cowl)
16.) “Egocentric” (Slum Village cowl)
17.) “You Don’t Know My Identify” (Alicia Keys cowl)
18.) “American Boy” (Estelle cowl)
19.) “Used to Love U”
20.) “She Don’t Have To Know”
21.) “Odd Individuals”
22.) “Marvel Girl”
23.) “Redemption Music” (Bob Marley cowl)
24.) “Glory”
25.) “Good Morning”
26.) “All of Me”
27.) “Wild”
Enormous artists coming to the Borgata in 2024
Legend isn’t the one main artist headlining on the Borgata this 12 months.
Listed below are simply 5 of our favorites you received’t need to miss after they swing into Atlantic Metropolis these subsequent few months.
• Boyz II Males (Aug. 16)
• Gabriel Iglesias (Aug. 31)
• Bachman Turner Overdrive (Sept. 13)
• Grand Funk Railroad (Oct. 5)
• Jerry Seinfeld (Dec. 6)
This text was written by Matt Levy, New York Put up dwell occasions reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the most recent tour bulletins out of your favourite musical artists and comedians, in addition to Broadway openings, sporting occasions and extra dwell exhibits – and finds nice ticket costs on-line. Since he began his tenure on the Put up in 2022, Levy has reviewed Bruce Springsteen and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to call a couple of. Please word that offers can expire, and all costs are topic to vary.