Patrice Guino , our photographer took those from the Stalls so the quality is not as good as usual, Forgive him please ...
Concert SOLD-OUT ages ago even tough, once again , prices are silly : up to 150 Euros.
The show started very slowly with Stevie playing the first song on the Harmonica, then things started getting hot as he played one of his hit but unfortunately the first part of the gig was plagued by some crap easy-listening songs. One hit out of 3 of these songs. So the first hour was interesting when he was playing a well known song otherwise it was plain boring ( well i' m exagerating a bit too much ! )
Nevertheless the band is smoking , they are ten musicians ( 1 drummer , 2 percussionnists , 2 keyboard players , 2 guitarists , 1 bassist , 2 brass players and 4 Backing vocalists including 3 stunning ( physically) black girls.) and Stevie of course centre stage behind his keyboards...who is on top form vocally , it's hard to believe his voice is still as perfect as 40 years ago, loud & clear . Physically he gain lots of weight .
The show started very slowly with Stevie playing the first song on the Harmonica, then things started getting hot as he played one of his hit but unfortunately the first part of the gig was plagued by some crap easy-listening songs. One hit out of 3 of these songs. So the first hour was interesting when he was playing a well known song otherwise it was plain boring ( well i' m exagerating a bit too much ! )
Nevertheless the band is smoking , they are ten musicians ( 1 drummer , 2 percussionnists , 2 keyboard players , 2 guitarists , 1 bassist , 2 brass players and 4 Backing vocalists including 3 stunning ( physically) black girls.) and Stevie of course centre stage behind his keyboards...who is on top form vocally , it's hard to believe his voice is still as perfect as 40 years ago, loud & clear . Physically he gain lots of weight .
We had a couple of guests , First was a guitar player (Mao Otayeck ) who played and sang a tune. Second was French Harmonica player called Frederic Yonnet who did a great duet with Stevie on "Boogie On Reggae Woman" , a real "battle" of harmonica . I've seen many "battle "of guitars but it was the first one with harmonicas , couldn't decide who won , both were great. Aisha , Stevie 's daughter ( the little girl crying at the beginning of " you are the sunshine of my life , that's her ) sang one too.
Stevie cried at the end of a song remembering his mother , that was emotional . He also played a few seconds of Edith Piaf 's "Milord" .
The second part was fantastic as Stevie played one hit after another . We were all here to hear those lovely songs, he played a lot of 'em but not all of 'em : "I wish" , "As" , Living in the city" , Higher ground" , "You are the sunshine of my life" " superstition" , " my cherie amour" , "visions" , " Don't you worry about a thing" , "Part time lover" , "free" , "Isn't she lovely", "I just called to say i love you",plus a few others ...
The only thing i could reproach to Stevie is that he's stretching out some songs a bit too much ( one lasted 15 min ) .
Stevie's supporting Obama for the elections so he mentionned it a couple of times, he did a song for his mother too who " went to heaven " a couple of years ago .
We even had a couple of minutes of Edwin Starr's " War" with the audience participation on the chorus.
Glad to see him back in Paris after all these years for an overall very good 2h40 concert.
The second part was so good that it made us forget the weak parts of the beginning.
Setlist to follow shortly...
There was an aftershow party at the Jamel Comedy Club and Stevie Wonder has played there for half an hour ( courtesy of http://www.funkhome.com/ )
Setlist :
All blues (From Miles Davis)
As if you read in my mind
Master blaster (jammin')
Did I hear you say you love me ?
All I do
Knocks me off my feet
"count us in " Jam - april in Paris ( spoken citation )
"Milord " by Edith Piaf ( a couple of lines )
The shadow of your smile ( love theme from - the Sandpiper- )
People make the world go round ( by the Stylistics )
Higher ground
Concierto de Aranjuez
Spain (from Chick Corea)
Don' you worry about a thing
Visions
Living for the city
Part time lover
Free
Carry on (Mao Otayeck on guitar and vocals )
Overjoyed
Lately
I'm gonna laugh you out of my life (Aïsha Morris lead vocals)
My cherie amour
Signed Sealed Delivered
Sir Duke
I wish
Boogie on a reggae woman (with Frédéric Yonnet on harmonica )
Isn't she lovely ?
You are the sunshine of my life
I just called to say I love you
Do I do
Superstition / Obama/ War ( edwin Starr )
As "
-2h32 min-
Stevie cried at the end of a song remembering his mother , that was emotional . He also played a few seconds of Edith Piaf 's "Milord" .
The second part was fantastic as Stevie played one hit after another . We were all here to hear those lovely songs, he played a lot of 'em but not all of 'em : "I wish" , "As" , Living in the city" , Higher ground" , "You are the sunshine of my life" " superstition" , " my cherie amour" , "visions" , " Don't you worry about a thing" , "Part time lover" , "free" , "Isn't she lovely", "I just called to say i love you",plus a few others ...
The only thing i could reproach to Stevie is that he's stretching out some songs a bit too much ( one lasted 15 min ) .
Stevie's supporting Obama for the elections so he mentionned it a couple of times, he did a song for his mother too who " went to heaven " a couple of years ago .
We even had a couple of minutes of Edwin Starr's " War" with the audience participation on the chorus.
Glad to see him back in Paris after all these years for an overall very good 2h40 concert.
The second part was so good that it made us forget the weak parts of the beginning.
Setlist to follow shortly...
There was an aftershow party at the Jamel Comedy Club and Stevie Wonder has played there for half an hour ( courtesy of http://www.funkhome.com/ )
Setlist :
All blues (From Miles Davis)
As if you read in my mind
Master blaster (jammin')
Did I hear you say you love me ?
All I do
Knocks me off my feet
"count us in " Jam - april in Paris ( spoken citation )
"Milord " by Edith Piaf ( a couple of lines )
The shadow of your smile ( love theme from - the Sandpiper- )
People make the world go round ( by the Stylistics )
Higher ground
Concierto de Aranjuez
Spain (from Chick Corea)
Don' you worry about a thing
Visions
Living for the city
Part time lover
Free
Carry on (Mao Otayeck on guitar and vocals )
Overjoyed
Lately
I'm gonna laugh you out of my life (Aïsha Morris lead vocals)
My cherie amour
Signed Sealed Delivered
Sir Duke
I wish
Boogie on a reggae woman (with Frédéric Yonnet on harmonica )
Isn't she lovely ?
You are the sunshine of my life
I just called to say I love you
Do I do
Superstition / Obama/ War ( edwin Starr )
As "
-2h32 min-
The ridiculously complicated Pass Sheet from Bercy
I'll put more videos here :http://fr.youtube.com/user/rockingparis
Here's one. It's " free" :
Free daily newspaper -20 Minutes- has used my video of " you are the sunshine of my life" to illustrate Stevie Wonder's show in Paris Bercy :
http://www.20minutes.fr/article/257538/Culture-Stevie-Wonder-une-legende-a-Bercy.php
Tomorrow the 29th TV on the radio are playing a private TV show " L' album de la semaine" for Canal+ ; they will be playing a Sold-out gig at the Nouveau Casino on the 30th.
Cold War Kids are playing the Bataclan on the 29th.
Patti Smith will be in Paris for the " Nuit Blanche" ( Oct 4th )reading poetry @ Eglise de St Germain des Pres between 9 PM and 6 AM ( yes these are the right times )
