LOS ANGELES, CA- Classic songs endure, and when they come from the 70’s, they are guaranteed to get you shaking your groove thang until the wheels fall off. The O’Jays are perhaps one of the greatest soul bands from that era and their Philly soul sound has been shaking booties for decades.
What made the O’Jays’ sound so inviting were the undeniably smooth harmonies that the trio perfected. Having the vocal ability is part of the key to their enduring success. The other part is the hit-laden songwriting of Gamble & Huff. “Back Stabbers”, “Love Train”, “For The Love Of Money” … the list goes on and on.
And while the group members may have changed over time, The O’Jays have still been able to maintain their lush sonics; adjusting to the times with modern production. Their performance at the Hollywood Bowl was, however, was pure OG.
Dressed in sharp black ensembles, the current trio of Eddie Levert, Walter Williams and Eric Grant (Eddie and Walter are original members of the group), set the show to sail with their politically charged song “Ship Ahoy”. No explanation was needed for the crowd, as those who know The O’Jays know that their music has always injected social and political messaging of the times into their music and performances.
After making their “overt” statement, they unsubtly ordered the audience to get the party started with “Time To Get Down”. From there, it was a gradual crescendo into what would become an energized performance that easily rivals, and even surpasses, performances by modern wannabe soul groups. Class, style, musicality, The O’Jays had it all in spades. Even their choreography was on point, and Eddie is 76! From “Back Stabbers,” “Use Ta Be My Girl,” and “For the Love of Money”, there was no stopping this “Love Train” from steamrolling through the esteemed venue.
This was my first seeing The O’Jays, and hopefully it won’t be my last. These gents can still put on one hell of a show, and it behooves you to see them do their thing the way soul music is supposed to be done. Like OGs.
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