Bonnie Raitt
Founders Theatre, Hamilton, 12 April
This was a gig I think a lot of people went into not knowing what to expect.
As the audience sat (yes, sat) in front of opening act Jackie Bristow, they had little love.
A gorgeous girl with a beautiful voice, Bristow was unfortunately lacking a presence, and perhaps confidence that would’ve tipped her performance particularly if she tapped into that moodier lower register, which I would’ve liked to hear a lot more of.
I still don’t know if it was the seated audience in their varying states of tiredness, disinterest or battling the disconnect caused by the venue, or if it was Bristow (or both) but her set fell disappointingly flat.
Her closing track, Warrior Spirit was a huge saving grace, considerably better written than some others and the sound channelled a bit of Raitt herself – it was a great close.
But when Raitt hit the stage it was as if a switch was flipped on the crowd. She was pure electricity.
The way she sings, holds herself, banters with the crowd and her band members, you’d put her a good 40 years younger than she is. The only time she gave away her age was with stories of the days of old.
While she did seem to favour the blues tracks from Slipstream, her set harked back to those good old days, particularly in a rendition of one of her biggest hits, Something to Talk About, which had people up and dancing on the very first note.
The 63 year old proved her currency and musical knowledge, dedicating Thing Called Love to the Alabama Shakes’ singer Brittany Howard, in recognition of her contribution to modern blues.
She also played I Can’t Make You Love Me, for Adele and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon who have both covered the 1991 track.
From the high energy power tracks to a stunning acoustic solo to the low key dedication to her mother, Raitt was flawless.
It’s remarkable that an artist who has been this long in the game still feels and enjoys her music and she expertly feeds off of the crowd, changing the set list in the moment to keep energy up and singing in the drum track to keep her band in the loop.
And they were perfect together. Superstar Mike Finnigan took the keys and back up (and at time lead) vocals, and George Marinelli was a powerhouse on guitar.
Bonnie Raitt is a fantastic artist of old who somehow continues to grow and learn and adapt, and will, thankfully, be around to entertain and teach us for many years to come, whether it be about music, life, love or the pleasures of owning a truck at 23 years old.
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