Concert Photos and Review: Bonnie Raitt at the Akron Civic Theater

Bonnie Raitt in Akron Credit: Photo by Brian Lumley

Iconic Blues and Americana singer/songwriter Bonnie Raitt played to a very enthusiastic fanbase at Akron’s Civic Theater on Saturday night. Returning to Northeast Ohio to the beautifully restored old movie palace, Raitt brought her “Live” tour to an almost-sold out crowd.

As the night wore on, it became apparent that the theme of the show was getting older and accepting the inevitability of death. Losing cherished family and friends has been a leitmotif since 2020, and the Los Angeles native has surely suffered loss like many of us.

She spoke fondly of one of her closest friends, John Prine, who passed from COVID-19 during the pandemic. She covered two of his tunes, “Thing Called Love” and “Angel From Montgomery,” in his memory. Another friend, Zimbabwean activist/musician Oliver Mtukudzi, passed in 2019. She cut a song with Mtukudzi in the early aughts called “Hear Me Lord,” which she performed as well.

While their memory (and phenomenal songwriting skills) permeated the atmosphere, the show was in no way a depressing affair. If anything, Raitt’s reminders that we’re all getting older were uplifting, as evidenced by a late-set offering “Live For the Ones,” that she noted was a testament to that notion.

Towards the end of the show, she pulled out “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” one of the biggest hits of her career. She dedicated it to all the people nursing a broken heart, saying, “Please stay broken-hearted, because without you I don’t have a job.”

Wrapping up the 17-song set, she gave us a three-song encore, including Paul Siebel’s “Louise,” and a B.B. King tune, “Never Make Your Move Too Soon,” which, at 74 years old, she’s showing that she still has a few more moves.