Stevie Wonder should be a religion

A story that I wrote last year, after Stevie Wonder's concert in Chicago. I thought this new blog would be a good opportunity to talk about it again! Let me know what you think!

Olivier

September 11 2007, as each and every 9-11 for the rest of the days of our generation, is a special date, full of mixed emotions, bad memories, and fear for the future. However, there is always the need for a ray of light in a horizon darkened by violence and the stupidity of humankind, and mine for 2007 will have been Stevie Wonder.

Nothing but!

After Monday's pouring rain that forced him to cancel his show, Stevie played yesterday evening in Chicago, and I was there. For the first time in my life, I eventually saw Stevie Wonder live. "A Wonder Summer's Nights" is not the promotional tour for "A Time to love" but this song's underlying message is clearly the one he conveyed yesterday (even though he didn't play it). « War and Hate within people's hearts is simply unacceptable. Unacceptable! So let's stand together as one, and tell them to stop it! Stop it! » Going from this serious plea to lighter puns (I would have never imagined how hilarious he could be), from serious R&B/funky grooves to splendid ballads, he simply made us dream.

I am French, and it is the second time I live in Chicago. Chicago gave me all the Blues, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter (he was here one night of '98), Koko Taylor, Eddie Clearwater, and the Rolling Stones and the Police. This time at Charter One Pavillion, I had my wife next to me, the Skyline of Chicago on my right, and Stevie Wonder in front of me.

A suspended moment in time. Thank you Chicago.

Everybody danced, everybody sang, everybody smiled, and everybody looked at each other with happiness in their eyes. I have never ever felt this way before at a concert, or any other show or form of art I have been exposed to.

That's how Music should be
That's how a concert should be
That's how a singer should be
That's how a Man should be
That's how we all should be

I almost spoiled this moment a bit by wishing too hard that it will never end, and I felt emptiness as soon as he left the stage. What are you supposed to do after this? He took us with him into a journey of over 2h30 in his life, his world, his music, and it felt like if we knew him better afterwards. His mother passed away about a year ago, and that's why he had to cancel many of his professional projects, until he felt her tell him to "move his …. out of here" a couple of months ago. Within weeks, he put together this tour, because he wanted to thank his fans for having given him the possibility of offering a better life to his mother than that she would have otherwise had.

I could obviously go on and on about what has been my best 9-11 in a long time.

Stevie Wonder should be a religion…