CeCe Winans Portland Concert reviews
An intimate evening with two friends
I thought this show was great from the start. It was very understated, in a good way. But I am a huge fan of Sonny Landreth and John Hiatt with the Goners, so I was a little disappointed that it was not CeCe Winans and his Large Band. Both performers were very human, genuine, and charming. It was almost more a concert and a comedy show than just a concert, because both men just kind of chatted about all kinds of stuff between their songs, and it was fun to hear their opinions and stories.
I would have liked to hear more of the oldies but goodies. My favorite comment by CeCe was telling about when he was at Graceland with someone whose name I did not recognize. His friend said, "well if he [referring to Elvis] was so great, why is he buried in the backyard like a hamster?" Ha!! So funny.
The juxtaposition between John's rough, gravely voice, and CeCe's smooth-as-silk voice was great, particularly on the duet they did of "Choke Your Chicken. -- so funny and cute. I couldn't have envisioned these two on stage together.
I also appreciated the obvious respect the performers have for each other, it was very apparent.
It was still a great show, but I would go again. I have seen both of these performers before (John Hiatt probably at least six times.) This may not have been my favorite show, but it was well worth going to, and a unique show I won't forget. I only wish it could have lasted longer than ~2 1/2 hours.