Somewhere in the middle of all that loveliness sits a happy Robert Randolph. The ladies were grooving to Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips."
It smelled like a garden nursery but it sounded heavenly.
The combined talents of Ziggy Marley and Robert Randolph provided the highest profile event to date at the nascent Crossroads KC venue. A peaceful and inordinately happy crowd of more than 2,500 attended the concert Friday night.
Recent rain necessitated that the grounds of the outdoor theater be covered in aromatic mulch. Aside from a handful of mud traps, it worked. The night was not without glitches. Lines for beverages and portable toilets grew uncomfortably long at peak moments. (Here's a tip: The small bar next to the stage seemed less busy.) And confusion abounded at the venue's entrances. These kinks will hopefully be rectified for future events.
The sound was as good as can be expected in any outdoor venue, and sight lines are excellent throughout the gently sloped space. At least a third of the audience seemed to view the event as an extension of First Friday festivities as they chatted throughout the show.
Fortunately, Crossroads KC is large enough to comfortably accommodate socializers, dancers and music lovers.
Ziggy paid tribute and respect to his father's legacy.
It's no slight of the 38-year-old Ziggy Marley to point out that the best songs he played were faithful recreations of his father Bob's most treasured songs. Not only are "Rastaman Vibration", "Roots, Rock, Reggae," "Get Up, Stand Up" and "Is This Love" among the songs that popularized reggae music, they're part of the most beloved catalog this side of the Beatles.
Accordingly, Marley and his nine-piece band sounded almost exactly like the late '70s Wailers. The mesmerizing dub segment Ziggy added to "Jamming" transformed his father's anthem into the best song of the evening.
Ziggy bears an eerie resemblance to his iconic father, and he even manages to put the same soulful scratchiness in his voice. Yet Ziggy's ecstatic dancing and passionate delivery kept his 90-minute performance safely away from karaoke territory. Besides, Ziggy originals like "Look Who's Dancing," "Love Is My Religion" and "Looking" are worthy additions to the family legacy.
It took Robert Randolph & the Family Band a while to find its bearings. The first half of their eighty-minute set meandered listlessly. They finally caught fire with a fertile groove that funk pioneer George Clinton will be challenged to equal in his show at the venue on Wednesday.
Randolph's unabashed display of joyous abandon on songs like "Deliver Me" was contagious. About 900 people were on hand to see Randolph take the stage but more than 2,000 were undulating to his gospel-based sound during his encore of "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That."
While his prowess on pedal steel and conventional six string guitar is rightfully celebrated, Randolph and his five-piece band were far more interested in overseeing a dance party than showing off their individual instrumental prowess.
The night's most amusing moment occurred when Randolph invited women to the stage for Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips." Fulfilling Randolph's request temporarily baffled both the security guards and the willing dancers. The subsequent delay was a true "Hello Cleveland!" moment.
The interminable 50-minute delay between acts was made more tolerable by a nearby fireworks display. While they were part of the mayoral inaugural gala, the fireworks served as an appropriate celebration of Kansas City's first-rate new music venue.
Photos and review by Bill Brownlee/Special to The Star
Would like to let you all know about a big music festival in Melvern, Kansas, put on by Akita Adoption and Rescue Foundation. Some of the headliners are: Ike Turner, Commander Cody, Les Dudek,Devon Allman and Honeytribe, Bernie Worrell and T.M. Stevens, over 140 bands will play over the four days. The event is called Dog Stock Music and Camping Festival. www.dogstockfestival.com.
Posted by: Larry Knouft | May 22, 2007 at 03:40 PM