Two years after anointing the newly opened Stockbridge Amphitheater as its first performer, singer Patti LaBelle returned to the Henry County venue Saturday with the fire and vocal acrobatics that have made her a legend.
But unlike her 2021 performance, LaBelle and opening act En Vogue, were delayed more than an hour by a lightning-heavy thunderstorm. Instead of starting at 8 p.m., the concert began closer to 9:30 p.m.
Undaunted, LaBelle, decked out in a cream-colored pantsuit, wasted no time when she finally took the stage around 10:30 p.m. with the upbeat “Something Special” and slow burner “Love, Need and Want You.” Both allowed LaBelle to hit the prodigious high notes that are her signature.
And as is her custom, it didn’t take long before she was kicking off her matching pumps. LaBelle has used the gimmick effectively for years as a signal to fans that it was time to get down to business.
“Some time ago, I sprained my ankle,” she said. “I like five- and six-inch pumps and I’ve got on five-inches right now and they’re killing me. What should I do about my shoes, take them off?”
The crowd roared its approval.
Credit: Katelyn Myrick
Credit: Katelyn Myrick
With time a concern -- a city ordinance mandates that concerts at the amphitheater end at 11 p.m. -- LaBelle picked up the pace with “The Right Kinda Lover,” “Somebody Loves You Baby,” and “When You Talk About Love.”
Unlike other veteran artists, who occasionally call on younger background singers to help reach notes no longer in their range, the 79-year-old LaBelle had no problem showcasing her belting abilities.
Aaron Marcellus joined her for a beautiful duet of “On My Own,” her No. 1 pairing with Dobbie Brothers front man Michael McDonald. Background singer Debbie Henry added spiritual depth to “What A Friend We Have in Jesus” and LaBelle’s plaintive “You Are My Friend.”
But no Patti LaBelle concert would be complete without “Lady Marmalade,” the funky 70s rocker that made the singer and her former group, LaBelle, household names. For this performance LaBelle picked several men from the audience to join her on stage to sing the song’s famous lyrics, “Voulez Vous Coucher Avec Moi, Ce Soir,” with her. The results were mixed, much to the audience’s delight.
Credit: Katelyn Myrick
Credit: Katelyn Myrick
In opening for LaBelle, En Vogue showed that they have not lost a step since the ‘90s when the group’s songs ruled the charts. The trio -- Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis and Rhona Bennett -- brought passion and fire equal to LaBelle’s and their enviable strong harmonies on a series of hits, including the James Brown-funky “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” the girl-powered “Whatta Man” and the rock-like “Free Your Mind.”
Ballads “Don’t Let Go (Love)” and En Vogue’s cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Giving Him Something He Can Feel,” which the group made their own with a singular sexiness, brought the crowd to its feet.
If there is a quibble, it lies with the whoever mic’ed Ellis. On at least two occasions, her mic failed to cut on until she was well into her part on songs. The audience could see her mouth moving, but there was no sound coming through until her section of the songs were almost over.
Fortunately, the problem was rectified on Ellis’ much anticipated a cappella opening on “Hold On,” the group’s closing number. As soon as Ellis began the song’s melodic and lingering first line, “When I had you,” concertgoers were out of their seats. Once her fellow bandmates joined in with their cascading a cappella vocal harmonies, it was clear that waiting in the rain for the concert for an hour was worth it.
