What happens when the music is so good that it masks an uneven performance by its performer?
That’s the question that arose at The Isley Brothers’ recent concert in Henry County at “The Bridge,” the city of Stockbridge’s rechristened outdoor Stockbridge Amphitheater.
Kicking off the venue’s 2023 concert series with opening act After 7, the paired down Isley Brothers -- consisting of brothers Ronald and Ernie _-- was a much-anticipated highlight of what is expected to be an electrifying season featuring Babyface, Maxwell, Donnie McClurkin, Monica, Tank, Fantasia and Cameo.
But Ron, 81, appeared to struggle a bit during the show. On opening tunes “Fight the Power,” “That Lady” and “Between the Sheets,” he didn’t so much sing the songs as he belted out a few lyrics here and there before his voice trailed off. Those who ambled up to the stage for a better look could see that he was singing throughout but that his words often came out as a whisper.
The crowd cheered anyway. For those who packed the sold-out event just hearing the opening chords of “Between the Sheets” and Ron’s cool croon of the song’s first lyrics, “Hey girl, ain’t no mystery,” was enough to get them grooving.
That’s not to say that Ron was just going through the motions. He sat down after the opening tunes and fared much better seated on “Smooth Sailin’ Tonight,” “Groove With You,” “Twist & Shout” and Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World.”
He even tried a verse of Rufus & Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing” and his 2022 collaboration with Beyonce, “Make Me Say It Again, Girl,” before letting his background singers handle most of the vocals.
“I think I’m going to do like 200 songs tonight if it’s alright with you,” he said.
Credit: LEON STAFFORD/AJC
Credit: LEON STAFFORD/AJC
And while that was figurative speech, he did run through a long list of hits, some just a few verses while others were full songs. There was “Contagious,” “Let Me Know,” “Spend the Night” and “Don’t Say Goodnight (It’s Time to Love)” just to name a few.
Rounding out the night were hits “Atlantis,” and “Summer Breeze,” where brother Ernie got a chance to shine by playing an extended guitar solo. Playing the silent partner to his much more theatrical brother, the 71-year-old demonstrated his flair for showmanship as he played part of the solo with his teeth to show the audience his mastery of the instrument.
“Shout,” the group’s signature high-energy crowd-pleaser, brought the crowd to its feet to end the night with Ron turning the stage over to backup dancers in electric yellow, orange, pink and blue.
And speaking of colorful costumes, ‘90s R&B hitmakers After 7 opened the show with a rousing performance to match the candy-colored yellow, magenta and purple suits they donned in their highly choreographed 50-minute set.
The trio ran through their hits with aplomb and even borrowed a few from others, with each member leaving the stage briefly at varying points to sing directly to women in the crowd.
They began big right out of the gate with “Can’t Stop,” a circa-1990 No. 1 R&B hit from their debut album, “After 7.” That was followed by a cover of Hall & Oates “Sara Smile,” which brought out the wanna-be vocalists in the audience to sing along.
Credit: LEON STAFFORD/AJC
Credit: LEON STAFFORD/AJC
To demonstrate they were not a band of the past, After 7 quickly segued to “Bittersweet” and the smooth “Tomorrow Can Wait,” two songs from their 2021 album “Unfinished Business.”
But it was their past that brought fans out. Founded by brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds -- the older siblings of Kenneth Edmonds also known as superstar singer/writer Babyface -- the group leaned into their history, especially on “Baby I’m For Real (Natural High).” As they performed the slow burner, photos of Melvin Edmonds, who died in 2019, played on a display behind them.
They closed the show with “Ready or Not,” another hit from their debut album that reached No. 1 and cemented them in the R&B firmament.
“We know this is what you came for,” they said in introducing the song as the crowd swooned with appreciation.
