He Is Legend

John Stephens couldn’t have chosen a better stage name than LEGEND.  The guy can sing.  Probably the most vocally gifted singer I’ve seen perform live.  I swear, every note, almost mechanically in tune, never off key, never “pitchy”, always amazing.  Even when he’s singing I’m not familiar with, I’m at awe at just how great a singer and performer he is.  Incredible.

With no front act, the show just started right away.  When the lights went out at the start of the show, the band started playing, the back-up singers started singing, as we awaited his entrance.  Then, the coliseum started shrieking loudly and then we realized he was walking to the stage from the audience!  He started singing once he got on stage and didn’t stop from then on.  He performed mostly songs from his latest album, his third studio album, Evolver.  But he didn’t disappoint by going through all his hits (I hate it when foreign acts skip singing some of their hit songs, knowing that fans went there to hear them).  John sang his hits, but for me, favorite was when he sang “Save Room”, “P.D.A.”, and especially “Green Light”.  Of course there’s “Ordinary People”, but more on that later.  As a Beatles fan, it was delightful treat when he segued from one of his songs to the Beatles classic, “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”.  Way cool.

He is one of those musicians who can actually outsing his recordings when he performs them live.  I find myself jaw-dropped with how he sings his songs live; I swear the man is gifted.  You just had to be there to know what I’m talking about.  The contestants on American Idol can learn a thing or two from John Legend.  One of the highlights was when he asked for ONE girl to join him up onstage.  He chose one, pointed at her from onstage, and she was escorted up on stage as he serenaded her and did some dirty dancing as well.  The audience was screaming with titillated delight!  Eventually the song ended, and he gave her a kiss on the cheek then a rose.  I swear, this guy can sweep any girl out of her undies with a line or two from his songs!

John Legend also has a wardrobe shtick.  He starts the show off with layers of clothing on, wrapped in shirts and a scarf and a jacket.  But every so often, every after couple of songs, he would remove an article of clothing, first his jacket, then his scarf then his shirt, until his last song where he’s left wearing a sando or a wifebeater.  He really knows how to work the crowd, playing to the easily excited audience.

Then, after his final song, he thanks everyone and abruptly exits the stage without singing his signature song, “Ordinary People”, leaving the crowd chanting MORE, MORE, MORE!  After a bit, he comes back the complete opposite of his stripped down final outfit, completely dressed in a black tuxedo.  He sits down on his piano, and proceeds to sing his biggest hit.  At many parts of the ballad, he lets the crowd, who was singing along from the beginning, to sing the song for him, always a thrill to witness in concerts.  He makes the crowd sing, “take it slow…this time we’ll take it slow…” over and over again to great dramatic effect.  I swear, I didn’t think it was possible for me to like the song any more than I already do, but it was.  I had a lump in my throat the whole time.

I’ve always admired John Legend and his music, but I never considered myself a fan.  But I’ve acquired a newfound respect and admiration for the man and his immense talent — for writing, singing, and performing.  It’s one of life’s simple joys to witness great talent performing live onstage.  Consider me a fan.

(As always, thanks again to She and Mario!)