The renowned, award-winning guitarist and singer transfixed a sold-out crowd at Meijer Gardens on Wednesday night. The review and photo gallery at Local Spins.
‘Something to Talk About’: Bonnie Raitt’s Wednesday concert gave fans plenty of fodder for that. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
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As always, Bonnie Raitt can sing like an angel and play the slide guitar like nobody’s business.
From the opening bars of “I Sho Do,” the 74-year-old singer had Wednesday’s sold-out crowd at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Amphitheater in the palm of her hand.
Perfectly at ease fronting her band of stellar musicians, she delivered her own hits and songs by artists she admires in her sometimes velvety, sometimes raspy voice and almost always accompanying herself masterfully on guitar.
What’s remarkable about Raitt, besides the fact that age has not slowed her down one bit, is her generosity in sharing the music of artists much less famous than her. Take “Made Up Mind,” a lovable, rootsy tune written by a band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, The Bros. Landreth. Not only did she pluck it from relative obscurity for her live shows, but she also won a Grammy Award for her cover in 2023.
“Hear Me Lord,” a joyful petition to “whoever is going to get us out of pain and dissension in this country,” was written by the late Zimbabwean singer Oscar Mtukudzi. In Raitt’s capable hands, the song unfurls as a lament that gives way to hope in the divine.
Her voice exuded grief when Raitt sang her classic rendition of late friend John Prine’s song, “Angel From Montgomery.” Fans could hear how much she missed him in her reverent, devoted delivery. “I love him, too,” she said after fans cheered the song.
Keeping the Music Going: Blue skies greeted fans. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
Perhaps the most moving moment came when Raitt sang “Just Like That,” which won her Song of the Year at the 2023 Grammy Awards. This heartrending song explores the story of a mother who hears her late son’s heartbeat in his organ recipient’s chest. It was, Raitt says, inspired by Prine’s death in 2020 from COVID-19.
The ever-graceful artist knows how to keep things from getting too sad, though. In her return to the venue that she last played in 2016, she praised the venue to the skies — for its lush gardens and sculptures, and even the food she ate before performing.
Fans enthusiastically greeted her beloved songs, with “Something to Talk About” and “Love Letter” at the top of the list.
By the time she crooned “I Can’t Make You Love Me” in the encore, the air had cooled but the crowd was still warmly responsive. “Maybe I’ll be like Mick (Jagger) and Taj (Mahal) and (other older artists who continue to tour),” she wondered out loud. “Maybe I’ll be back out here, keeping the music going.”
Opening for Raitt was the rockabilly/soul/blues band James Hunter & The Six from Essex, England.
With a leathery voice reminiscent of James Brown or Ray Charles, Hunter gustily sang lead vocals. He and his band, whose instruments included saxophone, double bass and organ, got things swinging with the “Okie Dokie Stomp” and paid homage to The Five Royales and their Carolina Soul sound with a smooth cover of “Baby Don’t Do It.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Bonnie Raitt, James Hunter at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker
