John Legend
August 18, 2014
Greek Theater, Los Angeles, CA
The Man, the Myth, The (John) Legend was in Los Angeles, CA and boy were people excited. His third single All Of Me, from his 2013 release, Love in the Future was also the name of his tour, and the only thing fans wanted to see was all of HIM! He did not disappoint, as he came on stage right on the dot of 8:30pm to screaming fans.
The crowd was older, diverse and well dressed, like Legend; although there were plenty of younger women and couples in the crowd as well. All of them had one thing in common- they were there to see the master of R&B. After a short musical introduction by Legend’s violinists, the singer/songwriter was seen standing on a platform at center stage. He smiled as he looked into the sea of fans and began his extensive set with Made to Love and continued with Tonight (Best You Ever Had).
The majority of Legend’s set consisted of him singing beautiful melodies while he sat behind his piano playing just the right keys to give everyone goosebumps. The crowd was seated through a main chunk of the performance as well- getting up only when Legend commanded them to as he performed Rock With You by Michael Jackson.
Legend also did plenty of story telling throughout the night. As he played the introduction to Maxine, he began telling the crowd that he saw his ex girlfriend, Maxine with another man. He paused to let the crowd take it in, and continued by saying, “But I waited until she got home to confront her. And I said ‘I saw a couple at a cafe today and the girl looked an awful lot like you Maxine’ … Maybe it wasn’t you but it looked a lot like you Maxine. She had the same blue dress that I bought you… and the same shoes that I bought you… but maybe it wasn’t you… Maybe my eyes or my head are playing tricks on me, but I don’t think they are,’” he paused and ended with, “I hate you Maxine.” in such a calm, collected voice. The crowd burst into laughter as he smiled out toward them. He continued by performing Maxine to everyone’s satisfaction and told the crowd that his grandmother’s middle name is also Maxine and when the album came out, she called him and was so excited that he dedicated a song to her, “I don’t think she read the lyrics.” he said while everyone laughed.
The night continued with fan favorites including You and I; Ordinary People; So High and many more. A little more than half way through the set, Legend gave a back story of his childhood, singing in the church, about his parents and about his grandmother (not the one named Maxine, he didn’t forget to mention) who taught him how to play piano. He told us that she passed away when he was 10 and he regrets that she wasn’t able to witness all of his success. “I think about her every single day,” he tells the crowd. He continued the set by dedicating the Simon & Garfunkel song, Bridge Over Troubled Water that he performed without his band/ orchestra and with all the lights dimmed in the venue, besides a small few that lit him.
After performing So High, Legend exited the stage, only to be brought back out minutes later to perform the one and only All Of Me. Nearly every phone in the venue lit up as people recorded the hit. This singer/songwriter/pianist performed a unforgettable show. He has a beautiful and powerful voice that anyone can enjoy and performs with such finesse that it is difficult to not want to see more. Not only that, but he engages with the crowd, telling stories and making the show more personal. If you are a fan of Legend or R&B or just amazing performers, then you better buy some tickets to see this Legend.
Review by: Nicole Lemberg
