Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals - Majestic Theatre, Dallas, TX - 11/5/07
Last night Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals made their Dallas stop along the North American tour for their newest album LIFELINE. Per Harper on his website, benharper.net, the tour consists of a series of shows to be held in historic theater venues across North America. For the Dallas performance, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals chose the Majestic Theatre located in the southern portion of the city's Downtown.The Majestic opened in 1921 during the Vaudeville era and its stage has carried names such as Mae West, Duke Ellington, Bob Hope, and John Wayne. A beautiful venue, restored over twenty years ago, boasts of a stunning terraced entry, breath-taking acoustics, gilded architectural detail, and an aura that brings out the best behavior in even the most rowdy concert-goers. Harper suggests on his website that his fans dress up for his shows on this tour. He must figure: elegant venue...toned-down set list...why not suit up in Sunday's best for a proper evening of entertainment? A handful of fans obliged his pointed-but-not-pushy suggestion, but the attire of the fanatic faithful had little affect on the feel of the concert. However, the band's efficacious donning of hipster garb put afloat a feel of importance and grandeur in the theatre. Many probably began to wish they had dressed up after seeing the band take the stage together. They probably also began to wish that they could look half as convincing in the three-piece suit that Harper wore or the flat-brimmed cowboy hat sported by keys-meister and all around utility-musician Jason Yates (on "Excuse Me, Mr." he helped out Leon Mobley, the band's gifted percussionist, and filled in on rhythm guitar while Ben took a seat at the Wurlitzer on "Younger than Today"). These six guys exuded the hippest sense of cool possible up on the stage washed in dramatic lighting and accented by five crystal chandeliers.
Nevertheless, had they dressed like homeless vagabonds along their jaunt across the country and sat on the stage motionless and uninspired, it would not have begun to take away from the performance. The reality of live music is that all of the showmanship and polished appearances mean absolutely nothing if the music does not reach people. Enter Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals on Monday night in Dallas. The masterful tightness of the individual musicians' playing, the cohesion of their separate sounds, the ferocity of their most intense crescendos, and the tenderness of their most delicate diminuendos did nothing if they did not reach every single soul within the walls of the Majestic Theatre.
To begin the show, Harper entered the darkness of the stage solo taking his seat center-stage under the spotlight with his noted Weisenborn in his lap. The flurry of improv primed the excited crowd as Ben led into the first song of the set. Enter the Innocent Criminals. Drummer Oliver Charles, Guitarist Michael Ward, Bassist Juan Nelson, and the aforementioned Leon Mobley and Jason Yates sauntered on stage to Harper's right forming a circle around a microphone. The performance of the simple gospel tune "Well, Well, Well" from There Will Be A Light was as much style as it was substance. Harper fervently delivered the vocals while hammering out the simple phrases on his slide. To his right, the "circle of believers" stomped and clapped to the rhythm while providing the powerful harmonies that were originally sung by the Blind Boys from Alabama on the album version of this lesser-known Bob Dylan song. This opening scene brought forth visions of a mid-20th century Christian tent revival.
The set list then led into some of the tracks from Lifeline with highlights being "Fool For A Lonesome Train", "Say You Will", and "Put It On Me". "Say You Will", one of the weaker songs on Lifeline due to its overwrought female vocals and lack of lyrical pop, gained some muscle with a more dense guitar arrangement and improved back-up vocals provided by Juan Nelson and Michael Ward. It truly was one of the highlights of the evening. "Put It On Me" upped the anty showcasing Yates on the keys and Ware on the lead guitar. With a monumental registry of talent and not to mention the god-like persona cultivated by his fan base, Harper could swallow the entire the stage with his mere presence, but his inclination to step back and let the members of the band give platform to their own incredible capabilities is not only admirable, but it also is part of what makes Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals so great. Some of the best moments come when the band falls out leaving Juan grooving on a bass line or when Leon gets the crowd going with a conga drum break. Harper is great by himself, but he is something greater with his five comrades next to him.
Keeping with Harper's tradition of paying homage to those who have influenced him, the band covered Muddy Water's "Hoochie Coochie Man", a new addition to their repertoire. Additionally, the runner up for "Crowning Moment of the Night" goes to BHIC's cover of Bill Wither's "Use Me". Juan, Oliver, and Leon were a sure-fire, spot-on rhythm section and Ben's vocals drove the song with force. At one point Jason Yates took a break from the keys to incite a full-tilt dance party with the members of the audience. Bill Withers would have been proud to see how this song dissolved the fine crowd at the Majestic into a scene from Soul Train.
The most powerful moment of the night came during "Where Could I Go." As the song entered into its second verse, Harper directed his Innocent Criminals to hush the volume of their collective timbre. While the band played its most hushed pianissimo, Harper strode to the front of the stage's apron bidding the exuberant cat-calling audience to match the placidity of the five musicians on stage. The audience followed the cue, and the theatre became a still haven. This clearly brought Harper satisfaction. It was the moment that he had envisioned for a tour of historical theatres across North America. His voice, nowhere in the vicinity of microphone, cut through the expansive room waking all his fans from the trance into which they had been lulled by the tranquil music. The lead man passionately delivered the second verse and bridge of the song without the aid of electronic amplification. As Harper knew it would, his voice carried strongly into the mezzanine and up into the far reaches of the balcony once again drawing uncontrollable cheers from the crowd in the quiet moments between his lyrics. Finished with the dramatic technique that left many in awe and with jaw agape, Harper leaped back toward his band and flailed his right arm in a gesture that obviously meant "kick it up to max volume." In the next fleeting moments, the song erupted into its climax and concluded just as quickly as it had begun, the instruments were laid down, the band exited the stage, and the fans were left standing in front of their seats applauding for nearly six minutes.
Obviously with a flair for the dramatic, Harper waited just until the fans were growing restless and beginning to doubt the possibility of an encore. Entering the dark stage once again, he did come back to close out the show with a number of tunes including the final two tracks on Lifeline, "Paris Sunset #7", an instrumental featuring Harper and his Weisenborn slide guitar, and the title track "Lifeline" that is reminiscent of other emotional yet simple tracks from Harper's back catalogs such as "Walk Away", "Another Lonely Day," and "Widow of a Living Man."
What is endearing about Harper is his sincere gratitude to the throngs of faithfuls and the fact that he believes they are "the best fans in rock and roll." Citing his varying departures into funk, soul, blues, folk, country, reggae, and rock, Harper recognized the audience for their ardent support of all his music over the years compelling the Innocent Criminals to issue a standing ovation of their own. It was a fitting ending to such an intimate evening at the theatre.
All who ventured to the Majestic on this Monday night in Dallas witnessed a performance that inspired, excited, soothed, and certainly entertained for a solid two hours. Harper and the Innocent Criminals in lieu of Tirico, Jaworski, and Kornheiser...not bad for a Monday night.
Obviously with a flair for the dramatic, Harper waited just until the fans were growing restless and beginning to doubt the possibility of an encore. Entering the dark stage once again, he did come back to close out the show with a number of tunes including the final two tracks on Lifeline, "Paris Sunset #7", an instrumental featuring Harper and his Weisenborn slide guitar, and the title track "Lifeline" that is reminiscent of other emotional yet simple tracks from Harper's back catalogs such as "Walk Away", "Another Lonely Day," and "Widow of a Living Man."
What is endearing about Harper is his sincere gratitude to the throngs of faithfuls and the fact that he believes they are "the best fans in rock and roll." Citing his varying departures into funk, soul, blues, folk, country, reggae, and rock, Harper recognized the audience for their ardent support of all his music over the years compelling the Innocent Criminals to issue a standing ovation of their own. It was a fitting ending to such an intimate evening at the theatre.
All who ventured to the Majestic on this Monday night in Dallas witnessed a performance that inspired, excited, soothed, and certainly entertained for a solid two hours. Harper and the Innocent Criminals in lieu of Tirico, Jaworski, and Kornheiser...not bad for a Monday night.
posted by JCR at 5:49 PM
2 comments
