At 86 years old, Smokey Robinson still has it. The moxie. The moves. And, perhaps most importantly, the voice. A marked difference from last week’s Paul Simon concert at Blossom, the Motown legend left nothing on the stage.
Playing a seventeen-song set, the two-hour concert took us from his early days as the frontman for The Miracles up to his solo peak years in the late 1970s. An astonishingcareer that started in the mid-1950s, he’s one of a true subset of living legends that still has the ability to hold an audience. Sadly, those ranks are shrinking each year.
The night started off strong with “Being With You” and “I Second That Emotion.” He offered a medley of Temptations hits that he either wrote for or performed with the legendary Motown outfit.
His newest album, titled, uh, Gasms, was perhaps the only misfire of the night, as the innuendo regarding what forms a “gasm” may take didn’t resonate too well with the crowd.
He then segued into a trio of crowd pleasers such as “Ooo, Baby Baby,” and “Tears of a Clown.” Covering the Sinatra staple, “Fly Me to the Moon” was a nice mid-set reset.
Closing the evening out with “Tracks of My Tears,” he then introduced the eleven-piece band and encored with a rousing singalong of his hit “Cruising.” The last tune was perhaps the best way to sum up the night: “Be Thankful,” released last year as a single.
Indeed. How many years do some of these legends have left? As somber as that may sound, be thankful that their music still resonates with us all.
