Live review: John Legend at the Gibson Amphitheatre
January 14, 2009 | 1:28
pm
A big dose of vanilla smooth.
"John Legend is suave and smooth," read a text message crawling across the jumbo screen before the 13-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter's performance at the Gibson Amphitheatre on Tuesday. Indeed, with songs so silken and seamless as to be soporific, the 30-year-old R&B balladeer has emerged as the preeminent practitioner of vanilla latte soul for the sport coat-and-cravat crowd, a Brian McKnight for Generation Y.
To his credit, Legend affects a winsome affability on-stage and knows his role, winking at the audience, "I'm just here to set things off for y'all." In response, the capacity crowd swooned and swayed. The show was more akin to an hour-and-a-half love-in than rhythm-and-blues revue.
