Richard Marx isn’t a stranger to Atlanta.
In recent years he's played Chastain with The Little River Band, had fans pack a snack and trek to Peachtree City for a show with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra and, in December, filled Atlanta Symphony Hall with his sometimes touring buddy, Rick Springfield.
But even if you’ve seen Marx numerous times and know the Chipotle joke and the self-deprecating ‘N Sync story, it was still a unique opportunity to hear his zillion hits in the cozy confines of City Winery.
Also, those stories are still funny.
Marx’s Wednesday night visit presented him solo, with only a couple of acoustic guitars, a baby grand piano and a liquid concoction cold remedy on stage.
Considering his trove of material and penchant for storytelling, what more would he need?
After his opening trio of songs, including “Endless Summer Nights” and a crowd singalong of “Satisfied,” Marx, 55, explained that he picked up a rare – for him – cold a couple of days earlier.
“My voice is not 100 percent,” he said, “but I think we can all agree my hair looks amazing!”
Marx’s sarcastic – and self-effacing – wit rippled through the room in between a slinky “Keep Coming Back” and the still-haunting “Hazard.” And despite his admission of illness, Marx sounded robust throughout the show. He held notes long and strong in “Keep Coming Back,” nailed the high range in “Now and Forever” and sounded appropriately raspy on the bridge in “Hazard.”
His voice retained its sandpaper edge on 2011’s sneakily melodic “When You Loved Me,” which he performed with his three adult sons singing and playing on pre-recorded video, and the snippets of covers (“What You Won’t Do For Love,” “Easy”) he shared after sliding behind the piano.
While Marx primarily revisited songs he wrote for or with other artists during his piano time – the Grammy-winning “Dance with My Father” with Luther Vandross, “This I Promise You” for ‘N Sync – he also performed his collaboration with Sara Bareilles, the delicate piano ballad “Not in Love.”
Casual fans might not realize the breadth of Marx’s songwriting. Keith Urban, Ringo Starr, Jennifer Nettles, Chicago, Daughtry, Toni Braxton - really, it’s an endless list worth Googling. He did perform a bit of his No. 1 country hit with Keith Urban, “Long Hot Summer,” on guitar (and his own very funny take on a country song – “How Can I Miss You If You Won’t Go Away”) before reminding fans of his inaugural No. 1 hit from the pseudo-mullet days of 1988, “Hold On to the Nights.”
Marx’s catalog would fill a very large box set and require a very, very long concert – don’t forget about “Angelia,” “Don’t Mean Nothing” and “Right Here Waiting.”
But as notable as his past work is – the indelible hooks and insinuating melodies and layered choruses – what is most impressive about Marx is that he isn’t done yet.
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