It was a scorching in Cleveland last night, but thankfully we had Sade in town to cool us off. Still, I’m pretty sure she managed to raise the temperature of many in the audience at her Quicken Loans Arena show. She and her band were on fire.
She opened her set with “Solider of Love,” the title track to her latest album from last year. The trip-hop jam was a great choice, as it got hips swaying early. And they didn’t really stop much after that.
Sade hasn’t toured since 2001’s Lovers Rock, so there was a lot of catching up to do last night. And Sade made up for the gap by playing for more than two hours.
The lengthy set made room for plenty of new songs, as well as all the old favorites everyone wanted to hear. She even played an epic encore (“Cherish the Day”) from a rising platform — one of the many impressive visual feats of the concert. The 52-year-old singer doesn’t look a day over 30. And her voice still sounds just as sultry as it did nearly 30 years ago.
Ohio native John Legend opened the show with a terrific set. The gifted singer and pianist played a solid set of old-school-style R&B that had the ladies all over him. A perfect complement to all the dudes who were drooling over Sade. —Eddie Fleisher
This article appears in Jul 6-12, 2011.
That was one of the best concerts that I have ever attended …. and I have been to alot. Beautiful singer, beautiful bad. I t was just perfect!!!
I enjoyed the whole evening. I have looked forward to seeing Sade for year and she did not let down. I was not a fan of John Legend, but that has changed since I heard him in concert, I am not a new fan. The whole evening was fabulous
Guns n roses>>>>>>>>>>sade
Sade was really great and the multimedia show was spectacular. best.show.ever. John Legend was good too.
this was a wonderful late fathers day gift/going away deployment gift from my wife and I am still grateful today. I thought after seeing John Legend for the first time that wow this is a good show because he brought back an old school R&B real band crooner feel then after a few minutes the bass started and the curtains were yanked away with the crowd arleady on there feet and me a 52 year old reservist bouncing like a school girl at a beacboy concert was beside myself with excitement, loosing all my swavness. She and THE BAND (OMG0 exceeding all expecation. Please Helen Sade Adu don’t wait another 10 yrs.