Before playing a single note on Thursday evening, Stevie Wonder took a few minutes to address the Royal Farms Arena crowd.
"Hello B-Mo," Wonder said with a grin. "It is truly an honor to be here with you." With pleasantries out of the way, the 64-year-old entertainer delivered a mission statement of sorts for the night. Directed at anyone who "hates" based on race, religion, gender or sexual preference, Wonder said, "You are blocking your blessing," to cheers.
Wonder and his massive backup band kicked into "Love's in Need of Love Today," the gorgeous opener to his 1976 double-album masterwork "Songs in the Key of Life." Live, the song sounded incredibly warm, while Wonder left no doubt that his vocals still carry their signature richness.
But it was the message of love -- "send yours in today / hate's goin' round / breaking many hearts" goes part of the chorus -- that felt most cathartic. Less than a week after another unarmed black man in this country lost his life at the hands of a police officer -- this time in South Carolina, during a traffic stop -- Wonder's simple message of "love above all else" felt like a necessary splash of ice-cold water to the face.
Wonder, one of the single greatest contributors to American pop music, was in town to celebrate and perform "Life" in its entirety. He's been touring this show since the fall, and Thursday night's Baltimore date was added for those who missed it at D.C.'s Verizon Center in November.
"Life" is so deservedly celebrated -- because of its scope, its heart, its hits, Wonder's timeless melodies, beautiful lyrics and much more -- that the night was practically immune to derailment. (A couple of false starts to songs proved Wonder was not infallible, not that it mattered.) He played the album almost entirely in order, deviating only to work in songs from the companion EP "A Something's Extra," including "Saturn" and "Ebony Eyes."
The huge audience was Wonder's from the start. While the album eases the listener in with songs both poignant ("Village Ghetto Land") and meditative ("Have a Talk with God"), it does not waste much time getting listeners off their feet either. On Thursday, the one-two punch of "Sir Duke" and "I Wish" brought a clapping-along crowd out of the chairs for the first time.
Most striking, beyond the songs and musicianship, was Wonder's ability to control a room through banter. A charming storyteller, Wonder imitated one of his daughters who refused to go to bed one night. (She told him, "Only if you find me," he recalled.) India Arie, who joined Wonder to sing songs like "Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing," made note of all of the smartphones taking photos when the two were on stage. "It's hurting my eyes," Wonder quipped to surprised laughter.
"I love you, Stevie!" one woman called out between songs. "I love you, too," the singer replied. After a pause, he slyly whispered into the microphone, "But can you pay my bills?"
The music, however, rightfully trumped all else. "Life," a certified Diamond-selling album and multiple Grammy winner, remains a whole experience. It covers much ground, lyrically and sonically, while never losing its center -- Wonder himself.
It is also perfectly titled, as evidenced Thursday. These are songs are filled to capacity with energy and emotion, for moments reflective and somber, and sweet and ecstatic. In person, Wonder and his band -- which at one point included a string section, four percussionists, 14 backup singers, three guitarists, six horns players, two keyboardists and a bassist -- played the songs faithfully. The results were sublime.
Some songs were powerful, almost muscular when necessary, like on "Pastime Paradise" and "Ordinary Pain." Others stripped away the ensemble onstage, leaving Wonder and a smaller group of musicians to perform beautiful renditions of "Summer Soft" and a highlight of the night, the love song "Joy Inside My Tears."
Concerts dedicated to a singular work can be rigid, but Wonder made sure the show would appeal to the musicianship-minded and fans of world-class jamming. A gracious host to other players, Wonder riffed with backup singers and allowed moments for individuals to shine. Wonder, a mostly unshowy piano player, proved his skills were still abundant, especially on harmonica and an instrument unfamiliar to this writer -- a Marcodi harpejji, a stringed vehicle that sounded like a guitar.
Before kicking off the final stretch with "As," Wonder reiterated his message from before. "Put love in your heart," he said. After spending three hours with Wonder, and hearing arguably his greatest collection of songs recreated note for note, his plea felt easier to accept, and more vital than ever.