Bonnie Raitt: Birmingham Review

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Thu 15 Jun 2023

Her stage repertoire is made up of half a century of fabulous blues and R&B music - and doesn't she look and sound good on it! American blueswoman and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bonnie Raitt can still draw a crowd, as she proved with her outstanding sell-out concert at Birmingham's Symphony Hall on June 15. Bonnie, backed by four superb musicians with many years experience under their belts, said she was "so happy" for the sunny weather and "great audiences" as she made a welcome return to Birmingham. She went on to say she was "so grateful to still be singing here for you", although she joked that, in years to come, her distinctive red hair and white streak may become "one red streak" in a head of white hair!

Bonnie, a ten-time Grammy winner who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, said the two-and-a-half years when Covid put paid to live performances was "torture". But she more than made up for the delay with a brilliant 90 minute performance that displayed the full range of influences that have shaped her legendary career, including a couple of African-inspired numbers.



Bonnie, who was supported by singer-songwriter Gareth Dunlop from Northern Ireland, opened with the bluesy Made Up Mind from her excellent current album, Just Like That, released last year. She followed up with Used to Rule the World from the 2012 Slipstream album, before treating the audience, which included local soul singer Ruby Turner, to No Business - the first of several numbers from the 1991 Grammy-award winning release, Luck of the Draw. It was then back to Just Like That with the fabulously lazy, melancholy sound of Blame it on Me, featuring Canadian Glenn Patscha on keyboards.

Fellow Grammy-award winner, Nick of Time, from 1989, also featured strongly in Bonnie's repertoire, starting when she switched from guitar to keyboards to sing the title track. She later followed it with Love Letter and Have a Heart from the same album. Multiple guitar changes saw Bonnie cover other periods from her wonderful career, including Back Around from 2002's Silver Lining, while she returned to Luck of the Draw to crank up the tempo with her 30-year-old hit, Something To Talk About.



That had followed the first of two tributes to Bonnie's long-time friend, musician John Prine, who sadly died during the Covid pandemic. She performed the title track of new album Just Like That with its beautiful, haunting lyrics "for the friendship he gave me for 50 years". The second, and even more moving, tribute came when Bonnie sang John's own song, Angel from Montgomery, which appeared on her 1974 Streetlight album almost 50 years ago. She was clearly moved by the rendition that had the appreciative audience spellbound.

Other albums to be given a Symphony Hall airing included Road Tested from 1996 and Fundamental a couple of years later, but it was another return to Luck of the Draw for the inevitable encore when she performed another former hit, the beautiful but sad I Can't Make You Love Me. Latest album Just Like That is Bonnie's 21st to date. Her legions of fans will be hoping there are plenty more to come, and the tours to accompany them.



Rating: 5 out of 5

For more information about Bonnie visit www.bonnieraitt.com

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