Pat Metheny Bronx reviews
John Mayer with Michael Franti & Spearhead
Michael Franti was truly excellent. They quickly had the crowd on their feet and moving. In the crowd, he and others "appeared" and freely moved around. It was pretty neat. Suddenly, a band member was off the stage and singing in the bleachers. Bringing people up on stage, they also did, which was cool. They even invited a bunch of younger people up on the stage at the end, which was cool too! Drawing out the more tentative kids was a point the band made. A young girl even sang with Michael, and she was really good! Then came Pat Metheny ... The man we paid to see.
His first song seemed off a bit, lacking in voice. But after warming up, that was not an issue. Surprisingly, he did many covers (sang songs by other people). Normally, he throws in a few covers, usually of the blues genre (I Gotta a Woman, Don’t need No Doctor, to name a few favorites of mine). This time, he sang Cross Roads and Ain’t no Sunshine (to name two). They were fine, although I preferred Bill Withers' version better!
Metheny did, as he usually does, showcase his band members. His drums blew me away, Steve is phenomenal. Metheny does recognize talent. He had some banter with the crowd, but it seemed a bit staged and not as comfortable as I have seen him in the past. Perhaps he was being more tentative not to "misspeak"!
Overall, the concert was enjoyable. The opening act was loved, and Mayer was good. A solid 4 stars, not his best but very enjoyable.