An Evening With Steve Winwood: Wonderful Concert, Horrible Venue

I may stop going to concerts for awhile. At the very minimum, I will stop going to concerts at The Orpheum Theatre in Boston.

Getting in there was like going through security at an airport. Yes, I understand concert venues fear another Bataclan, but they are more likely to confiscate your water than any actual weapons.

I could perhaps understand if The Orpheum was a jewel. But The Orpheum makes 1970's porn theaters look respectable by comparison. It was hot, the chair in front of me was broken, there was no leg room so I had to sit with my backpack on my lap and the floor was uneven, The talking in the audience during Lily Winwood's set didn't help matters much either.

Winwood's 22-year old daughter opened the evening with a seven song acoustic set. She has just released her first EP and this is her second tour with her father to whom she referred as "an old friend." Born and raised in Nashville, her voice has hints of an English accent on words such as "ode and "perks". It is a very lovely voice, but several people in the audience loudly said, "She's not her Dad."

The comparison is an unfair one. After all, Steve Winwood has a 50-year legacy with which to work and put it on full display with fare from the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith and his solo work. Winwood, who turns 69 next month, has lost none of his voice's power and is equally good on the keyboards as he is on guitar.

I must admit my mood improved considerably when Winwood played Traffic's "Pearly Queen". The crowd really got into it when he got to the Blind Faith portion of the show - "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Had to Cry Today", earning Winwood his first standing ovation of the evening.

I'm not sure how I've overlooked "Empty Pages" all these years, or for that matter Traffic. Now Traffic is jamming my ears.

The only musical disappointment was Traffic's "Light Up or Leave Me Alone". I know Winwood co-wrote the song, but it isn't the same without the late Jim Capaldi's vocal. Most of Winwood's songs lend themselves to jamming including "Light Me Up", but it just didn't move me and I couldn't wait for it to end.

I didn't catch the names of Winwood's touring band, but they were tight. One member played flute, sax, clarinet and also keyboards when Winwood was on guitar.

Winwood brought daughter Lily back on stage to sing "Higher Love". Winwood and company bid adieu but returned to close the show with Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'".

As I descended the stairs, the crowd was absolutely raving about the concert.

All things considered, I would see Steve Winwood again. I just wouldn't see him at The Orpheum.