There isn’t much that Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Smokey Robinson hasn’t seen or done done. He has received a multitude of accolades including being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Kennedy Center Honors to name a few. At the young age of 82, he is still is tours and still packs them in. This was no more evident by the sold out crowd he just performed at the Seneca Niagara Casino this past Friday night.
Taking the stage at around 8:20pm, Robinson was all smiles as she strutted slowly back and forth across the stage making eye contact with everyone in the first few rows. He seduced the audience from the get go with the beautiful “Being With You.” He was accompanied by 4 musicians on strings, a bassist, drummer, guitarist and 2 more musicians on keys. For the classic “Second that Emotion,” you had a woman approach the stage and give Robinson a carnation, in which he gladly accepted from her with a hug and kiss in return. Besides his stage presence, Robinson showed he can still can still hold a tune vocally as well. Never more so than what he did during “Oooo Baby Baby.” He showed he can still hold notes just as she has done so throughout his career. At one point, he quipped to the audience, “We came to have fun, we came to have a good time, we came to boogie.” Then he proceeded to sing a Motown medley of hits. Robinson said, “once someone asked me what do you do when you hear your songs on the radio.” I said I turn it up!” Robinson talked about how working for Motown was great and how he created some of the songs that helped Motown become the juggernaut that it was back in the `1960’s and 70’s. He talked about how we wrote “Tears of a Clown” with Stevie Wonder. He sang to a woman in the front row “I Love Your Face.” For the encore, he originally called up a woman who ended up falling into the speakers due to her being inebriated. So, back to the drawing board as he called up another woman named Angie and one other named Nadine. They were positioned on each side of the stage to help Robinson ignite the crowd.
Robinson is what you call a true professional. This show checked all the boxes for me. Musically he sounded fantastic! He was very interactive with the crowd and it was a great selection of hits throughout his set. He still has it and do yourself a favor, go see him if if and when he comes to your town.
Setlist:
Being With You
Second That Emotion (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles cover)
You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me (The Miracles song)
Quiet Storm
Oooo Baby Baby (The Miracles song)
Get Ready/My Girl (The Temptations medley)
Tears of a Clown (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles cover)
I Love Your Face
Fly me to the Moon (In Other Words) – (Kaye Ballard cover)
La Mirada
Just to See Her
Tracks of my Tears (The Miracles song)
Encore:
Crusin’
We would like to thank Phil Pantano from Pantano & Associates for the credentials to review the show.
