It took an EGOT winner like R&B singer and pianist John Legend to bring concerts back to the Muny for the first time since 1991.
Accompanied by the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Symphony Orchestra, the Jesse D. Williams and Total Praise gospel choir, and Legend’s band, the singer drew 10,334 attendees to the Muny for “A Night of Songs and Stories†on Sept. 7. It was Legend’s first time performing with the SLSO, but you couldn’t tell as the musical components meshed with ease.
The evening was not a thorough review of Legend’s catalog, rather it was a blend of songs that were impactful to Legend throughout his life, with many of his own compositions and collaborations mixed in. All were punctuated with stories about his life, which allowed the audience a personal, cabaret-like experience with one of music’s biggest stars on a trip through their own personal music nostalgia.
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Legend had a lot of ground to cover through his stories. He has been a voice in R&B and American songwriting for more than 20 years. His debut album “Get Lifted†was released in 2004, winning Legend three Grammy Awards in 2006 including Best R&B Album, Best New Artist and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. In 2016, Legend won an Academy Award for Best Original Song after co-writing “Glory†with hip-hop artists Common and Rhymefest, which was featured in the 2014 film “Selma.†Legend released his first children’s album “My Favorite Dream†in August 2024, just a few weeks before his Muny performance.
Although some guests hadn’t yet made it to their seats, the concert began promptly at 8 p.m. Legend’s excitement was evident as he walked on stage in a classic black-and-white tuxedo and bow tie. He asked the crowd if the stars were out as he sat at his grand piano to perform his song “Ooh Laa†which samples “I Only Have Eyes for You†by the Flamingos.
Legend expressed how much he’d missed performing in ºüÀêÊÓƵ before launching into a unique rendition of “Tonight.â€
His performance was split into acts, beginning with his upbringing in Springfield, Ohio. He credited his maternal grandmother as the catalyst for his musical talents. He’d grown up in the Pentecostal church and joined the choir at age 7 to sing alongside his mother and grandmother. For this portion of the story, he and the choir sang “Mary Don’t You Weep.†The orchestra joined in for renditions of “Take My Hand Precious Lord†and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,†a personal homage to his grandmother’s influence before she died when he was 10 years old.
This was an evening of musicianship. Legend’s intense, soulful vocals were clear and controlled, and the SLSO was the ideal accompaniment. Occasionally, they were overpowered by Legend’s band and the choir, but more often than not, the orchestra had a majestic effect that added a new dimension to Legend’s original songs and covers.
Legend’s stories covered his mother’s drug addiction and his years in college, with each anecdote being accompanied by a relevant tune. A black ribbon spun on the video backdrop as Legend performed Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky,†which Wonder unexpectedly performed at Legend’s wedding to Chrissy Teigen in 2013.
The audience shouted in excitement when Legend played the first few chords of the Lauryn Hill song “Everything Is Everything,†and he revealed he was the pianist on the 1998 record, credited under his real name, John R. Stephens. He closed out the first half of the show with “Stay with Me.â€
In true Muny fashion, there was a 25-minute intermission. Legend returned to the stage in an all-black yet-subtly-sparkly tuxedo to perform an a cappella version of “God Only Knows†and a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark†with the orchestra. His acoustic rendition was heartfelt and expressive, stripping the rock song down to its most intimate melodies as fireflies floated across a video backdrop and illuminated the night.
From there, Legend took concertgoers into the more familiar parts of his biography as he described his “graduation†from being an unknown talent to a force in entertainment. He painted a melodic picture of meeting rapper Kanye West in 2001 by singing pieces of songs he and the Chicago rapper collaborated on like “Jesus Walks,†“Never Let Me Down†and “American Boy,†with singer Estelle. Legend also reminded the audience of other popular songs featuring his background vocals, including Jay-Z’s “Encore†and Alicia Keys’ “You Don’t Know My Name.â€
Legend then performed “Used to Love U,†after explaining how he acquired his stage name from other musicians calling him “a legend†around the recording studio. He asked the audience to sing along as he performed his 2004 hit “Ordinary People†with the orchestra. For this and “All of Me,†the houselights came up to cue the audience to sing during the refrains, and Legend praised everyone’s singing voices.
After singing “Wonder Woman,†Legend used some of the concert’s final moments to share his political stances. He performed last month at the Democratic National Convention, and he leans left politically. He also performed a solo piano version of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song†and “What’s Going On†by Marvin Gaye before singing “Glory,†which he says was in part inspired by the Black Lives Matter protest that took place in Ferguson.
Before concluding the night, Legend talked about his wife and performed the hit song he wrote for her, “All of Me.†Fireworks exploded above the stage after Legend performed “So High†as the finale. He asked the audience, “Don’t you want to go?†as he exited the stage.
The experience was intimate and organic with Legend remaining engaged with the audience from beginning to end. Legend’s performance sets a high bar for future concerts at the Muny — one that, hopefully, the Muny will rise to meet again and again in the coming years.