“This is grown folks music,” singer Kem proclaimed during his segment within the “Forever Charlie” tour starring Charlie Wilson.
The grown folks groove that typically comes hand in hand with a Wilson show – which has become an annual thing in recent years – was in full effect Sunday evening at the Scottrade Center.
The concert, which also featured singers Joe and Kem, showcased the diversity that can be found within the R&B genre.
Headliner Charlie Wilson brought the house down, but respectable sets from Joe and Kem made for yet another memorable experience from “Uncle Charlie.”
There were no tracks to be had. Live bands from all three acts
Show opener Joe proudly displayed the rich tenor vocals that caught R&B audience’s attention more than twenty years ago through hits like “More and More” and “I Wanna Know” from his catalogue of 1990s slow jam classics.
Kem’s unique blend of jazz, soul and R&B boded well with the audience from the moment he hit the stage and jumped right into “Love Calls” – the song that served as his introduction to soul music back in 2005.
Other selections from Kem’s portion of the show included “Why Would You Stay” and “Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Find Your Way” – which, as usual, included an audience participation element.
But as per usual, Charlie Wilson owned the night. Though not as high paced as usual, he had the audience on its feet for most of the 100 minutes he powered through on stage.
He let them know they were in for an R&B rollercoaster from the moment he marched out with his signature “funk train” entrance that starts every one of his shows.
Wilson took fans from the club, to the bedroom, to the church and back to each again by evening’s end.
He has more material to work with than most thanks to a stream of hits that stretch through five decades – and his latest tour is to support his latest project, which bears the name of the tour.
Wilson gave crowd a heavy helping of the Gap Band’s funk – even blending in “Uptown Funk” Mark Ronson’s 2014 hit with Bruno Mars for which Wilson and fellow Gap Band members were recently credited with for its likeness to “Oops Upside Your Head.”
He also provided fans with a sample of his “Forever Charlie” CD through songs like “Touched By An Angel” and “Goodnight Kisses” – where he displayed his unwavering vocal chops by weaving in a verse of Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me.”
He showcased his faith through a testimony that mapped his remarkable comeback from the crack house to concert halls and arenas thanks to the R. Kelly penned hit “Charlie Last Name Wilson” – the title track for the album that catapulted him back to the top of R&B in 2005.
“Charlie Last Name Wilson,” “There Goes My Baby” and “Beautiful” were among the highlights of the show that lived up to its early promises – even if it was one that Charlie Wilson fans are presented with on a yearly basis.
The effort he puts forth is always repaid in kind with energy, rousing applause and an audience eager to catch his groove and never let go.
“St. Louis is the baddest audience in the world,” Wilson said as he prepared to wind down his performance. “I’ll always come back because y’all give more energy than any other city in the world.”
