Lionel Richie thrilled with hit show in Vienna
"Say Hello to the Hits" is the motto of Lionel Richie's current tour - but after his concert at the Stadthalle in Vienna on Wednesday evening, the admiring exclamation "But Hello!" seemed more appropriate. The 76-year-old entertainment professional delivered a fireworks display of hits, from atmospheric ballads to lively dance anthems, with almost youthful freshness. The fans were quickly up from their seats in the seated hall, young and old danced to the (old) familiar songs.
What was not entirely unrealistic to fear: An (ever) hungry US veteran star cashing in once more with a big tour, supported by an unshakeable professional band and with just the acceptable level of engagement in his old age. What Lionel Richie delivered: a musically and visually impressive show over long stretches with an energetic frontman who had the show and audience under control, together with an above-average band and an opulent visual production including large-format digital backdrops and pyrotechnics that would make some football ultras turn green with envy.
Concert in Vienna: A Journey Through the Lionel Richie Hits
And of course, the evening was a journey through the hits of Lionel Richie and - very pleasantly - also "his" old band, the Commodores. Naturally, it was also a grand production by Mr. Richie himself, who has been in the business for around 50 years. Right at the bombastic start with - surprise - "Hello," stage fog enveloped the elegantly dressed artist in a white tailcoat like dense incense. As expected, the ballads were also dense, from "Easy" at the white grand piano to "Three Times A Lady" to "Stuck On You." However, the overall production, along with the lavish digital color framing, sometimes bordered on kitsch.
But Lionel Richie and his band skillfully changed the tempo again and again, bringing the audience almost collectively to dance, for example with "Lady You Bring Me Up" and "My Destiny." And quite surprisingly, the soul and pop star, along with his musicians, also convincingly struck funky tones, such as with "Fancy Dancer" and especially "Brick House," where Richie - now in a black leather jacket - and the band dashed across the stage almost like a Bad Boys gang.
"Dancing On The Ceiling" as a Highlight
The absolute highlight of the evening was "Dancing On The Ceiling," into which Van Halen's "Jump" was incorporated to increase fan movement motivation. After that, Lionel Richie had to bring the fans down from the dance heaven to the mental carpet, and he did so with the beautiful ballads "Still" and "Say You Say Me," the latter performed on a lift at a now black grand piano hovering above the stage. The musician also used the mood to make a passionate appeal for the unity of people in the world - underscored by the USA for Africa anthem "We Are The World." The only logical encore followed: "All Night Long" - and yes, that's exactly how long Lionel Richie's concert in the Wiener Stadthalle could have lasted for the fans.
(By Werner Müllner/APA)
(APA/Red)
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