By Michael P Coleman
I said I wasn’t gonna tell nobody, but I just can’t keep it to myself.
It’s a line from one of my favorite gospel songs, and it pretty much sums up how I was feeling as I was leaving Friday night’s bravura performance by the legendary Sweet Honey In The Rock.
“Rock” is the operative word for that show. Quite simply, the ladies. Tore. It. Up.
Why wasn’t I gonna tell you about it? Well, let’s be real. Sweet Honey In The Rock’s been around for awhile. Over 40 years to be exact. But unlike their soulful contemporaries like Aretha Franklin or even The Staple Singers, Sweet Honey never garnered the name recognition that their talent and showmanship deserve. But no one at Davies Hall in San Francisco cared about any of that Friday night.
During a show that ranged from protest songs to gospels to holiday tunes to a Marvin Gaye cover to selections from their brilliant 2016 #LoveInEvolution album, Sweet Honey In The Rock simply captivated Davies Hall’s standing room only audience for over 90 riveting minutes, with no intermission — and no instruments, save a sole upright base accompaniment. Each of the ladies had a moment or two in the spotlight, displaying vocal acrobatics that would have made Patti LaBelle proud.
The show had more than its fair share of commentary that was as on-point as their vocals. Suffice it to say that Sweet Honey In The Rock definitely won’t be performing at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration!
Before the performance started, the woman sitting next to me told me that she made it a point to see Sweet Honey In The Rock whenever they come to the Bay Area. After I told her that it was to be my first time seeing them live, she patted my arm and said “Oh, you’re in for a treat.”
She didn’t lie, and now, I’m a member of the Sweet Honey In The Rock tribe. After the show, founding member Carol Lynn Maillard told me that the group is looking forward to performing at a “freedom concert” that’s interestingly scheduled in tandem with the president-elect’s inauguration in Washington DC in January. I’m looking at flights.
Sweet Honey In The Rock is that good.
For information on Sweet Honey In The Rock, go to sweethoneyintherock.org
Their latest album, #LoveInEvolution, which features a KILLER version of “Somebody Prayed For Me,” is available on iTunes.
This review was written by Sacramento-based freelancer Michael P Coleman.
Connect with him at michaelpcoleman.com or on Twitter.
