Review: Raul Malo

Knuckleheads, the delightfully scruffy roadhouse in Kansas City's East Bottoms, isn't ordinarily associated with romance. On Friday evening, however, hips swayed, lips locked and hearts melted as Raul Malo's amorous crooning captivated a capacity audience.

The vocalist possesses one of the most enchanting voices in popular music. Although Malo lacks a signature hit 20 years into his career as the frontman for country-rock band the Mavericks and as a solo artist, Knuckleheads was packed with more than 200 dedicated fans familiar with the 44-year-old's repertoire.

"Nights like this make me wonder why this is the first time I've been here," Malo said of his initial post-Mavericks appearance in Kansas City.

The 15 songs in Malo's 80-minute performance were a winning assortment of material from his solo albums, favorites by the Mavericks, country covers and standards from Cuba and Mexico.

"This is an old Mavericks song," Malo deadpanned while introducing "Loving You." "Because there are no new ones."

The group's last studio album was issued in 2003. While most of the older songs remain fresh, "Dance the Night Away," one of the band's most popular offerings, was Friday's sole disappointment. The original version features a lush arrangement. Malo was accompanied only by accordionist Michael Guerra on Friday. The spartan approach may have sunk the upbeat "Dance the Night Away," but the simple setup never became monotonous. The vast emotional and musical range of Malo's voice more than compensated for the absence of a horn section or drummer.

Malo was absolutely brilliant during slow songs. The operatic quality of his voice was showcased on Spanish-language ballads "Sombras Nada Mas" and "Siboney." Dozens of artists have covered Rodney Crowell's "'Til I Gain Control Again," but few have interpreted the country standard with as much heartache as Malo invested in the song Friday. A cover of the Jim Reeves hit "Welcome To My World' was equally haunting.

In spite of the evening's relatively mild temperature, the concert took place on the venue's indoor stage. The result was an intimate, almost claustrophobic, atmosphere. The tight quarters forced many dancers to pogo rather than waltz. Savvier couples found space to embrace near Knuckleheads' vacant outdoor stage.

The memorable concert was enhanced by a solid opening set by Bob Walkenhorst and Jeff Porter. Walkenhorst's distinctive Midwestern yelp is no less compelling today than it was when he achieved international acclaim in the 1980s with Kansas City-based band the Rainmakers.

|Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star

Comments

[Does seniority count?]

Gotta wonder how Bill got this review and Tim got the Taylor Swift show, which I'm sure he dreaded. Short straw??

[Tattle Tale]

Come on, you know that tim is secretly just a 13 year school boy with a crush on Mylie and Taylor, he feels the Jonas bros are his compadres and he has the hots for Britteny (but that is more a milf thing; ), after all he has attended and reviewed all 4 of thsoe "acts" in the last year (when better bands were in town that night).

It is all good though, I do not judge him, he can do whatever he wants.

party on garth.

[What the what!]

Nope, it definitely sounds like you ARE judging him.

[out]

geeez lighten up.

cya

[Eljay]

In a couple of years, Taylor Swift will be playing at Knuckleheads.

[Gecko]

No, in a couple of years taylor swift will marry a white rap loser, have a couple of brats, then drive around with the brats on her lap. Then she will become a drunk, divorce the loser and date her black body guard. Then she will go crazy, cut off all of her hair (down below too) and show up on the Sunset strip in a short skirt wearing NO PANTIES, posing her shaved milf box for the paps. Then her daady will take over, they will reboot the BS media machine and she will come back to KC and sell out the sprint center to all of the tickets buying fools who were lucky to together with their money in the first place.