On November 1, a long-time dream came true. I got to see the remaining Jacksons (sans Jermaine and Randy) perform a show at the Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati, Ohio. I had thought that Jermaine would be there, so I was initially a little disappointed, but once the show started, there was nothing to be sad about (except that Tito died in September). Marlon, age 67, carried the show, but Jackie, age 73, has still got some moves and a great voice. Marlon, though – Marlon is sexy – he’s got the voice, the moves, charisma – he’s got it alllllll going on! Tito’s son Taryll is singing back-up with them since his father’s death, as is another younger guy, whose name I never caught. They’ve got the choreographed Motown moves down; they’ve got the harmonies down. People of all ages were up on the floor dancing and singing throughout – I was, for sure. (Russ wasn’t, but he’s not a sing-and-dance concert kind of guy.)
They did a medley of their early hits and I loved that. Those were some of my absolute favorite Jackson 5 songs – “ABC,” “Stop, the Love the Save May Be Your Own,” etc. And when they got to “I’ll Be There,” yes, I cried like a baby. I’d forgotten all about that one and it was magical, with Taryll and Marlon sharing vocals. They performed several songs from the Victory Tour, too – which my friend Sharon Shadrick constantly reminds me she got to go to (yes, I’m quite jealous, lol).
At the very end, when they finished singing, people rushed to the floor beneath the stage and reached up to shake their hands. Surprise of all surprises, they went from side to side for a good 5-10 minutes, shaking people’s hands, doing selfies with cell phones, talking, and giving the people the treats of their lives. It made me so incredibly happy. See, that, to me, is what marks a true performer. There was no curtain call. Did they have things to do? Sure. They had VIP Meet & Greets to do. But at this point in their lives, these guys aren’t so hung up on egos that they’re walking away and turning their backs on their fans. They’re willing to stand out there and mingle a little. No one jumped onstage. No one was crazy. Everyone was just frantically excited to have that opportunity. It impressed me. Because I can assure you that would never happen with the band whose name is on my license plate. The fans make it impossible, but so do their egos. Marlon and Jackie seemed pumped to be up there doing it.
Was it the best concert I’ve ever been to? No, that remains a tie between Tears For Fears’ Tipping Point and Garth Brooks at The Grand Ole Opry. But it was a bucket list show and darned impressive. Even if Jermaine was nowhere to be found. I’d go see Marlon and Jackie again in a heartbeat!
On November 1, a long-time dream came true. I got to see the remaining Jacksons (sans Jermaine and Randy) perform a show at the Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati, Ohio. I had thought that Jermaine would be there, so I was initially a little disappointed, but once the show started, there was nothing to be sad about (except that Tito died in September). Marlon, age 67, carried the show, but Jackie, age 73, has still got some moves and a great voice. Marlon, though – Marlon is sexy – he’s got the voice, the moves, charisma – he’s got it alllllll going on! Tito’s son Taryll is singing back-up with them since his father’s death, as is another younger guy, whose name I never caught. They’ve got the choreographed Motown moves down; they’ve got the harmonies down. People of all ages were up on the floor dancing and singing throughout – I was, for sure. (Russ wasn’t, but he’s not a sing-and-dance concert kind of guy.)
They did a medley of their early hits and I loved that. Those were some of my absolute favorite Jackson 5 songs – “ABC,” “Stop, the Love the Save May Be Your Own,” etc. And when they got to “I’ll Be There,” yes, I cried like a baby. I’d forgotten all about that one and it was magical, with Taryll and Marlon sharing vocals. They performed several songs from the Victory Tour, too – which my friend Sharon Shadrick constantly reminds me she got to go to (yes, I’m quite jealous, lol).
At the very end, when they finished singing, people rushed to the floor beneath the stage and reached up to shake their hands. Surprise of all surprises, they went from side to side for a good 5-10 minutes, shaking people’s hands, doing selfies with cell phones, talking, and giving the people the treats of their lives. It made me so incredibly happy. See, that, to me, is what marks a true performer. There was no curtain call. Did they have things to do? Sure. They had VIP Meet & Greets to do. But at this point in their lives, these guys aren’t so hung up on egos that they’re walking away and turning their backs on their fans. They’re willing to stand out there and mingle a little. No one jumped onstage. No one was crazy. Everyone was just frantically excited to have that opportunity. It impressed me. Because I can assure you that would never happen with the band whose name is on my license plate. The fans make it impossible, but so do their egos. Marlon and Jackie seemed pumped to be up there doing it.
Was it the best concert I’ve ever been to? No, that remains a tie between Tears For Fears’ Tipping Point and Garth Brooks at The Grand Ole Opry. But it was a bucket list show and darned impressive. Even if Jermaine was nowhere to be found. I’d go see Marlon and Jackie again in a heartbeat!
On November 1, a long-time dream came true. I got to see the remaining Jacksons (sans Jermaine and Randy) perform a show at the Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati, Ohio. I had thought that Jermaine would be there, so I was initially a little disappointed, but once the show started, there was nothing to be sad about (except that Tito died in September). Marlon, age 67, carried the show, but Jackie, age 73, has still got some moves and a great voice. Marlon, though – Marlon is sexy – he’s got the voice, the moves, charisma – he’s got it alllllll going on! Tito’s son Taryll is singing back-up with them since his father’s death, as is another younger guy, whose name I never caught. They’ve got the choreographed Motown moves down; they’ve got the harmonies down. People of all ages were up on the floor dancing and singing throughout – I was, for sure. (Russ wasn’t, but he’s not a sing-and-dance concert kind of guy.)
They did a medley of their early hits and I loved that. Those were some of my absolute favorite Jackson 5 songs – “ABC,” “Stop, the Love the Save May Be Your Own,” etc. And when they got to “I’ll Be There,” yes, I cried like a baby. I’d forgotten all about that one and it was magical, with Taryll and Marlon sharing vocals. They performed several songs from the Victory Tour, too – which my friend Sharon Shadrick constantly reminds me she got to go to (yes, I’m quite jealous, lol).
At the very end, when they finished singing, people rushed to the floor beneath the stage and reached up to shake their hands. Surprise of all surprises, they went from side to side for a good 5-10 minutes, shaking people’s hands, doing selfies with cell phones, talking, and giving the people the treats of their lives. It made me so incredibly happy. See, that, to me, is what marks a true performer. There was no curtain call. Did they have things to do? Sure. They had VIP Meet & Greets to do. But at this point in their lives, these guys aren’t so hung up on egos that they’re walking away and turning their backs on their fans. They’re willing to stand out there and mingle a little. No one jumped onstage. No one was crazy. Everyone was just frantically excited to have that opportunity. It impressed me. Because I can assure you that would never happen with the band whose name is on my license plate. The fans make it impossible, but so do their egos. Marlon and Jackie seemed pumped to be up there doing it.
Was it the best concert I’ve ever been to? No, that remains a tie between Tears For Fears’ Tipping Point and Garth Brooks at The Grand Ole Opry. But it was a bucket list show and darned impressive. Even if Jermaine was nowhere to be found. I’d go see Marlon and Jackie again in a heartbeat!
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