Rhythm, Love and Soul
There were a lot of bald heads, bad backs, and big bellies crowded into Pittsburgh's Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, both onstage and off, for this November 2002 concert, and it's apparent that everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. And how could it be otherwise, when artists and audience members of a certain (i.e., middle) age get together for a 107-minute soul/R&B; revue that encompasses two or three decades of terrific songs and performances? Originally broadcast by PBS, the 18-song show includes everything from soul standards like "Respect" (sung by a rather hefty but still effective Aretha Franklin) to disco hymns like Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and Thelma Houston's magnificent "Don't Leave Me This Way," with a few ballad chestnuts (Blue Magic's "Side Show," Peaches and Herb's "Reunited") added for good measure. OK, so some of these folks are a bit past their primes. But for the most part, this program (which includes several backstage interviews) is less about nostalgia than simply having a darn good time.--Sam Graham