The story of the Muny’s triumphant return to presenting concerts after a nearly 35-year hiatus didn’t begin when music star John Legend and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra emerged on stage Saturday night. It began about an hour or so before the prompt start time. Traffic leading into Forest Park had a 30-minute delay in every direction. The hustle and bustle hinted at the scale of the audience who came to see them present a popular music artist for the first time since Kansas and the Moody Blues graced the Muny stage in 1991. But it didn’t make the sight of the crowd in its totality any less awe inspiring. The final attendance count was 10,334 – a number that rivaled the populations of Berkeley, Town and Country or the combined residents of Brentwood and Moline Acres.
“St. Louis, It’s been a minute,” Legend said after opening the show with the prelude to the title track of his debut album “Get Lifted.” Wearing an impeccably tailored tuxedo with a white jacket typical of vintage crooners, he quickly transitioned into “Ooh Laa” which heavily samples The Flamingos’ pop standard “I Only Have Eyes For You.” Then he jumped into a slick and refreshing reimagination of his infectious R&B hit “Tonight.”
It was in the church that he fell in love with music, thanks to a special relationship with his grandmother – who was the organist for his family church. His mother was the choir director.
It was his first return to the city since he headlined the sold-out Variety Children’s Charity Dinner with the Stars in 2018 at The Peabody Opera House (Now Stifel Theatre).
Billed as “John Legend: A Night of Songs and Stories,” the show was exactly that. From start to finish, he lived up to his audacious moniker – and even shared with the audience how he acquired the stage name. The pristinely curated show blended selections from his now 20-year catalog – as well as several covers – with a series of anecdotes that offered a biographical sketch of his personal and career trajectory. He promised to take the audience on a journey back to the very beginning. Most assumed that meant his Grammy Award-winning debut album. “We’re going back even further than that,” Legend said.
What could be further back than his first album? His first breaths. He started with baby photos and spoke of his childhood growing up in the Pentecostal faith in his native of Springfield, Ohio. “It’s a very conservative religion,” Legend said. “In fact, I’m going to hell for songs I’ve already sung tonight.” It was in the church that he fell in love with music, thanks to a special relationship with his grandmother – who was the organist for his family church. His mother was the choir director.
As a tribute to this portion of his life, he sang a trio of selections backed by the Jesse D. Williams and Total Praise choir. Gospel standards “Mary, Don’t You Weep” and “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.” He paid tribute to his late grandmother with a cover of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Each of the songs also seemed to be a bit of homage to the late great Aretha Franklin in their arrangement and performance – and the fact they have all been recorded by her.
Legend discussed his formative years – with a few heavy moments about the loss of his grandmother and his mother’s struggle with addiction in the wake of her mother’s sudden passing. But the mood quickly lightened when he talked about his transition into high school – where he was skipped ahead two grades. “My nickname was Doogie Howser,” legend said, referring to the sitcom that starred Neil Patrick Harris as a child prodigy physician.
He also talked about his introduction to secular music performing in local talent shows. One of his go-to songs was “Ribbon in the Sky,” by his musical hero Stevie Wonder. Legend performed the song – and shared with the audience that Wonder sang the song at his wedding to model, influencer and television personality Chrissy Teigen. He apologized in advance for the name-dropping – which continued through the show for the sake of context as opposed to simply clout flexing.
They continued when he discussed how his path crossed with Kanye West. And how a connection with a fellow student at University of Pennsylvania landed him a co-writing credit on the cultural phenomenon that was “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” He was paid a whopping $500 and his classmates began referring to him as “track 13” after incessantly mentioning his role on the hit single “Everything is Everything.”
The show, which also featured covers of “What’s Going On” from Marvin Gaye and a scaled down, soul-driven take on Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” was further evidence of his keen ability to produce top-notch content. The comedic timing for the bits were perfectly executed. He didn’t labor too long on a particular chapter. And he didn’t pile on songs to congest the experience or distract from the storytelling.
The Symphony and Jesse D. Williams & Total Praise were perfect musical compliments for Legend and his band – particularly with the selections of “So High” and “Glory.”
“We wrote ‘Glory’ not only inspired by the film but by the protesters who were marching in Ferguson and all over the streets of America in the present day,” Legend said of the song he wrote with rap star Common after he discussed the mission he proclaimed at the age of 15 – to become a famous recording artist and use his platform to fight for causes that impact the Black community.
“We won the Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’ in 2015. I will never forget that night,” said Legend, one of only 21 individuals who have achieved EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award wins) status. “We stood on the stage and said ‘Selma is now,’ because we know that the fight for justice is far from over.”