I Want to Take You Higher

If I go to a concert, I have to dance. I particularly favor those musical genres that lend themselves to getting down with one's own bad self--soul, funk, blues--so the concert I went to last night had me on my feet (and on my ass--twice) all night. That's the sign of a good show. Allow me to elaborate.

Jewels and I met at the Beacon Theater and sidled up to the bar at the entrance for a pre-show drink. We reposed and took in the Beacon; it's really a lovely theater with a storied history and its interiors feature some magnificent details. We watched the crowds filing in--some age diversity to be sure (it ran the gamut from teenagers to geriatrics with a larger ratio of women to men), but it struck me that it was a predominantly white audience. With Hicks' preferred medium of soul music, I expected a little more diversity in the audience mix, especially in New York.

We were seated in the second row in the orchestra--excellent seats for optimal viewing of the stage. I was concerned that we would not be allowed to dance given the formality of the venue and assigned seats (and the stiff quality of the people sitting in front of us in the first row). The lights came down and the opening act, a Canadian singer named Toby Lichtman performed. She was terrific, recalling a style blend of Norah Jones and Janis Joplin. People watched her politely, rooted in their chairs. I could not stay still (but I did remain seated so I would not offend anyone behind me). There's something unsatisfying about dancing in a chair and I was concerned that the tepid audience might mean I'd come away at the end of the show with an ass burn from gyrating in my chair for the next hour.

Finally, the lights dropped and the main event was on. Suddenly this tepid audience was completely on their feet (and stayed on their feet for the duration of the show). The whole tremor of the room was transformed. People were clapping, dancing, throwing their arms up like they're in a rap video (OK, well maybe that was just me and Jewels throwing down a little love for the kick ass bass player). Crowds of women rushed down the aisle and flanked the front of the stage, effectively clogging the aisle, but everyone was friendly so no one minded the tight proximity we were caught in. We all started dancing to the music. The audience was like one big wave--undulating and rolling with the groove. It was marvelous fun.

The band was tight. The set list was solid. Hicks performed most of the songs from his latest album, but he tagged the songs with some classic riffs from Traffic, Van Morrison, Ray Charles and most memorably for me, Sly & The Family Stone. The tag for "Higher!" almost sent me into convulsions. Jewels and I were stomping and singing "HIGHER!!!" like teenagers. We dug it.

I won't go into the blow by blow details of the songs he performed and what tags were utilized and the audiences' fevered response. Other websites devoted to such things have already cataloged the evening's repertoire like diligent students of this soulful professor. I couldn't tell you what songs he didn't play, the up change in tempos and the like. I went for the music and the experience of the music and in this respect, I was not disappointed. I must say while I liked most of Hicks' album, listening to the man on vinyl is nothing like seeing him live. This is the medium he extols best and I can see why it is so difficult to capture this essence on a record. I don't know how that can be done; the live experience was electrifying..and I say so objectively. I go to a lot of concerts but this one was smoking. I could not control the need to move. It was utterly infectious, although I now feel quite concerned that I was a little too rambunctious and may have caused offense to someone. I don't mean to be so gragarious--I just feel the music and go with it. It seemed a lot of people felt the same way.

This boisterous need to move proved to be a challenge at a point. Dancing in a small square area with the aisle blocked by bopping fans, I had a challenge keeping my balance. It may have been the three inch heels I was wearing. I can run in these shoes, so surely I can dance in them. Alas, with my wild gyrations in a small space, I did lose my balance and as a result, fell right back into the aisle squarely on my ass. Undeterred, I leapt back to my feet and continued dancing. Halfway through the concert, it happened again and this time Jewels looked over at the women in the aisles and said, "Girls, get her up." Stalwart team that they were, they simply grabbed my arms and flung me upright. In retrospect, those shoes were not the best choice for dancing in a 3 foot area on a declining angle, but you know I'll do it again.

And who knew Hicks could play the cowbell? He did it correctly, too. Naturally, I had to screech out, "MORE COWBELL!" which garnered a bemused look from Jewels. Hey, it's not easy playing the cowbell!

My ears are still ringing this morning as I write this. My entire body is stiff, I am bruised in some rather peculiar places and my head feels woozy. It was worth every penny.