Surprise headliner Johnny Gill put on a full stage show Sunday night, complete with sequined dancers, lighting effects and two drum solos.
Unfortunately, those were the weakest moments of Sunday night’s Fox Theater bill that also included warm-up acts Eric Benet and El DeBarge.
This was stand-in-front-of-a-mic-and-deliver kind of night. What repeatedly brought the sparse crowd to its feet were the ballads, and Benet and DeBarge executed theirs with skill and conviction. The vocally gifted Gill, on the other hand, opted to make his classic ballad “My, My, My” a singalong. He was barely a participant.
Saving the night for those who came to hear the voices were strong performances by DeBarge and Benet.
DeBarge opened the show, and answered any questions about his fitness for duty. The oft-troubled 53 year old who spent years enduring prison and overcoming drug addiction looked fit and sounded clear, wielding a still potent falsetto.
Beyond the hits from his hey day as the lead singer of DeBarge, standouts from his set included a rendition of the Quincy Jones-helmed “Secret Garden” and a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You.”
Ultimately, it was Benet, who had been the announced headliner, who owned the evening. While he can’t match DeBarge’s pop success and nostalgia or Gill’s longevity and diversity, he proved Sunday how talented a live singer he is.
His “Chocolate Legs” again proved his falsetto is among the best in the genre. His roaring rendition of “Spend My Life With You” brought the crowd to its feet. And his athletic performance of “Sometimes I cry” left Benet requesting the aid of an energy drink afterward.
It was the highlight of the night.
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