John Legend Gives All of Himself

On stage is a string quartet featuring a cello, a viola, and two violins as well as a grand piano and a guitarist.  To open, the string quartet plays a beautiful piece, setting the intimate mood for the night.  John Legend comes out to hearty but not overly wild applause and begins his concert.

For his "All of Me" tour, John Legend himself told his audience that he wanted to them make feel like they were there with him in his living room.  Of course, Legend jokes, "I usually don't wear a tuxedo in my living room... Also, I don't have my own string quartet there either."  This provided a concert experience very different from what people normally expect from an artist today.

John Legend played many of his popular hits like "Green Light", "Ordinary People", and, for his encore, played "All of Me."  But for his more attentive fans he also went deeper playing less popular but equally amazing songs such as "Where Did My Baby Go", "Save Room", and a very personal rendition of "Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water."  All of these were arranged to fit the concert consisting of only John Legend and the piano supported by the string quartet and the single guitar.

What does this provide for the listener? Isn't it usually "the bigger the better"?

In this case, no.  The cliche of "less is more" is more fitting.

The concert itself was intimate.  You generally felt like you were being treated to almost a personal recital rather than a large concert.  This was not something you'd find (or would want to see) at a musical festival.  Music festivals and raves are, in my opinion, about the experience.

That's just my nice way of saying they're places to party.

But this concert was about the music.  The performance was intimate but it was also very exposed.  Normally artists have a large band with back up singers, lights and back up dancers.  A lot of times, the artist can hide behind all of this and a pretty face.  But John Legend relied solely on his musical talent.  At no point in the concert was the focus on anything but John Legend.

If he made a mistake, everyone would know.  If he was not performing his best, you would know.  If John Legend was not a great musician, after this concert, you would know.

But he did not disappoint.  John Legend was on fire this night.  This concert proved to me that John Legend is for real.

And, if you ask me, music needs to go back more concerts like this.  I'm sorry (no I'm not) but I'm tired of people passing off raves as concerts.  EDM is cool and all but going to see a DJ play a set is NOT a performance.  You press play.  And then pick the next song.

Trust me;  I know the work that goes into mixing and making transitions from song to song on the fly.  And trust me;  It doesn't compare to singing and playing piano under the microscope of a full concert hall for two hours.