Anyone who’s recently seen former Gap Band frontman Charlie Wilson perform live may find themselves asking afterward, “How old IS he?” Believe it or not, he’s in his 60s.
A career that spans about four decades hasn’t slowed down “Uncle Charlie,” as he’s affectionately known by his fans. To the contrary, he was all energy and swagger during the nearly two-hour performance Friday night at the Atlanta Civic Center.
His opening act, jazz/R&B singer Kem warmed up the sold-out arena with his own brand of smooth and mellow stylings. Hits such as "Share My Life," "If It's Love," and "Why Would You Stay!" left the crowd begging for more. But as laid back as Kem was, Wilson was that much more dynamic.
Coming out strong with “Party Train” and transitioning smoothly into a cover of “Beautiful,” the entire evening was like the best iTunes playlist with the right mix of dance jams and hold-her-close ballads. And on more than one occasion, Wilson’s signature “ooh-wee” punctuated the pleasingly familiar tunes.
Although most of the crowd had probably celebrated their 30th birthday more than a decade ago, there were a lot of youngbloods peppered throughout. The diversity of age is testament to Wilson’s timelessness and stamina in an industry that has seen the likes of “Tardy for the Party” classified as a hit.
The atmosphere was certainly fun and playful with a cheesy opening performed by clarions sounding the MGM theme and proclaiming funk and finesse were on the agenda.
With all the dancing in the aisles and couples hugged up with each other, one would have thought this was a Valentine’s Day show. I brought my mother along and we swayed and sang and had as good a time as any romantic couple out for a night on the town.
Wilson didn’t let down the old heads hoping for classic Gap Band. “Early in the Morning,” “Outstanding” and “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” satisfied the desire for nostalgia while “You Are,” “Life of the Party,” “Charlie, Last Name Wilson” and “There Goes My Baby” supplied a little something something for those new to the fan club.
It wouldn’t have been an old school R&B concert without the wardrobe changes.
Wilson went from a black suit with a purple shirt to a bright blue number with a tangerine shirt ending with stark white and lemon yellow. And every outfit was complete with matching hat and shoes – and don’t forget the glitter.
At one point, Wilson and the dancers were lit up like Christmas decorations. Cobb County’s Lights of Life had nothing on them.
For those who missed the show, another performance has been added Sunday night. Check it out for yourself. You’ll see I didn’t mention everything, such as the sexy gyrations and non-stop movement. And I’m not talking about the background dancers.
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