Member Review: Bonnie Raitt

As promised, here's Redhed's review of a recent Bonnie Raitt show she attended:

Bonnie in top form in front of a sold-out crowd as she made performing look effortless and easy over an hour and 50 minutes.

That was the deceptive part. Touring in support of her latest album Slipstream, which has garnered some of her best reviews in years, she poured herself into a very soulful performance. Donned in a black and purple sequined shirt and tight black jeans, she took the crowd along with her.

Not only was Raitt a self-assured performer - clearly comfortable in her own skin - she was funny too as she managed to merge blues, folk, rock, and soul in an organic and pleasing way.

She also never forgot her girly side, occasionally applying lipstick or “product’ as she called it, on stage.

Opening with the Slipstream songs “Used To Rule The World” and her winning reggae cover of Gerry Rafferty’s “Right Down The Line”, Raitt - who alternated between electric and acoustic guitars all night long - got to the chestnuts early with her ’90s chart-topper “Something To Talk About It”.

She also did justice to Bob Dylan’s “Million Miles”, another Slipstream song.

She was generous to her bandmates guitarist George Marinelli, drummer Ricky Fataar, bassist James Hutchinson and veteran keyboardist Mike Finnigan. The latter took over on lead vocals - with some nice Hammond organ work too - on the blues shouter “I Got News for You”.

“You’re a singing fool,” said a smiling Raitt afterwards to Finnigan, who brought the crowd to their feet.

Other standouts included the up-tempo Slipstream track, “Marriage Made In Hollywood”, which she pointed out was co-written by her ex-husband, actor Michael O’ Keefe; the ballad “Not Cause I Wanted To”, the John Prine cover “Angel From Montgomery” - which garnered the biggest applause and the first standing ovation of the night for Raitt; the blues numbers “Love Me Like A Man” and “I Feel So Damn Good (I’ll Be Glad When I Get The Blues)” and the Elvis-popularized rockabilly tune, “A Big Hunk O’ Love”.

When it came time for the encore, Raitt settled herself into a chair for the hearbreaking “I Can’t Make You Love Me”. She let some mighty big notes rip before standing up again for the vocally dynamic “Have A Heart”, and the show-ending cover of Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love” sung as a duet with her opening act Marc Cohn of “Walking In Memphis” fame.

Backstage, she sat with me for about 15 minutes, patiently answering all my questions. As she was leaving, she hugged me and whispered “Long live the blues and rock ‘n’ roll!”

Much thanks, Redhed. Planning on selling that hug any time soon?

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