Nostalgia befits Municipal Auditorium. A repository of memories, the downtown Kansas City arena was supplanted by Kemper Arena and then subsequent the Sprint Center. The venerable building has hosted innumerable sporting events, conventions and concerts. The collective memories of generations permeates the 76-year-old building.
Keith Sweat topped the bill. A sultry soul man, the majority of Sweat's hits are variations on a single theme. He pleads and cajoles on sensual slow jams that emphasize the carnal side of romance. The delighted screams of women greeted shamelessly lurid songs of seduction like "My Body" and "Make You Sweat." Sweat's hip gyrations aside, however, he stays on the respectable side of the line between risque and raunchy.
The possibility of romantic love is also a crucial component of Sweat's appeal. His charming renditions of the love songs "Make It Last Forever" and "How Deep Is Your Love" were the evening's highlights.
"I look the same even though I'm old," Sweat confessed. "And I still beg the same way."
His impassioned singing, however, has improved. Once a nasal whine, Sweat's voice is now rich and resonant. Maturity suits him.
His superb 75-minute set was complemented by the sympathetic support of a crisp six-piece band. Their restraint was a far cry from the raucous workout offered by Con Funk Shun. As the funk ensemble performed the 1978 hit "Shake and Dance With Me," it was almost impossible to resist the invitation. Con Funk Shun's synchronized dance steps and vibrant horn section proved that their dusty old hits like "Ffun" and "Love's Train" remain vital.
While it wasn't quite the revelation provided by Con Funk Shun, rose-colored glasses weren't required to appreciate the S.O.S. Band either. The eight-piece act sounded as fresh as ever.
"If you held a party in 1980 and didn't have this song," vocalist Mary Davis proclaimed in her introduction to "Take Your Time (Do It Right)." "You didn't have a party."
Saturday's party hit an unfortunate lull after the S.O.S. Band's set. SWV, the audience was informed, had been delayed by inclement weather. Almost an hour transpired before Sweat's performance began. SWV finally appeared immediately after Sweat. Deeply apologetic, members of the trio explained that they'd "been flying for 24 hours to get here." Unlike the other acts, SWV lacked the advantage of live instrumentation. Even so, their perfunctory set served as a tasty nightcap.
Many couples surely had one of Sweat's suggestive pledges in mind as they streamed out of Municipal Auditorium.
"I'll do all the begging for you," Sweat promised the men in the audience. "It's going to be good when you get home tonight."
| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star
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