Home Page | June 23, 2018 | June 24, 2018
PASADENA, CA-
“… Arroyo Seco Weekend not only got the Soul Queen of New Orleans, but they also got another inimitable New Orleans voice to grace their stages. Though he currently resides in upstate New York, Aaron Neville’s unique tenor vocals and the musical legacy that he established with his brothers (the Neville Brothers), helped establish a New Orleans sound that draws from an amalgam of musical styles.
Clocking in at 77 years old, Aaron may have been the oldest performer of the weekend, but with his ever present biceps, colorful tie-dyed shirt and mellifluous voice, you would have been hard pressed to think he was even a day over 50.
His performance focused mostly on music made popular during the earlier part of his career. He performed a covers of moving covers of “Stand By Me” and “A Change I Gonna Come” and also some of his own popular singles like “Don’t Cry” and “Tell It Like Is”.
But at the end of the day, it really didn’t matter which songs Aaron sang. His voice … his delicate tenor voice … that light and seductive falsetto … alone was enough to get lover in the mood. It was hard not to notice couples holding each other in tight embraces sharing public displays of affection with no reservations. I”ll be honest with you … if I had had a date with me during his performance of “Tell It Like It Is”, I’d have been making out myself.
But the love making aside, Aaron’s set was highlighted by throw backs to that NoLa sound towards the end of his set. As he concluded with a raucous rendition of “When The Saints Go Marching In” and had the audience join him in a call and response of “Who Dat?”, I couldn’t help but think that spirit in the tent at that moment was what Aaron Neville was all about.
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Home Page | June 23, 2018 | June 24, 2018
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