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Published on December 1st, 2015 | by Edwin Millheim

Daryl Hall & John Oates Spectacular Performances

Daryl Hall & John Oates Spectacular Performances Edwin Millheim
Score

Summary: The most successful duo of all time show once again why they are still on so many peoples play list.

5

Daryl Hall & John Oates Rock


Daryl Hall & John Oates performed at the Barbra B. Mann Performing arts center last night Nov 29th 2015, in the United States in Fort Myers Florida… A perfect Venue for the best-selling duo of all time. If you have never been to this venue, I can honestly say there is no bad seat in this place.  The crowd was a good mix of an audience from younger to older, all having the same thing in common. An appreciation for these two individual artists, both on their own and when they work together. Don’t get me wrong, Daryl Hall & John Oates are runaway power houses together and for a casual fan, that is how they are known best. Together.

In the end they are song writers/musicians and performance solo artists that work together. Forces of individual music styles on their own, and a musical time and generation spanning revelation together. If you have never seen Daryl Hall & John Oates in a live music situation, then your life has been short changed… It’s a musical experience for a lifetime and no matter, if it is your first time or any number of times their soulful vocals tear away any outer armor and expose the myriad fabric of emotion and the human condition. It’s food for the soul. It is truly amazing, the atmosphere was like we were all just in a front room and the guys and the band where just casually doing what they enjoyed. Just having a cool jam session together, and we all got invited in to be a part of it.

There were several songs played with some changes to arrangements had been presented but never so much that it compromised the song. Always giving them a new a snappy fun feeling of, hey let’s get together and jam. It was all much to the sold out crowds utter delight.

Daryl and John - credit Mick Rock

Photo by Mick Rock

As noted these two artist while being two very different individuals and having several solo album projects under their belts… keep it grounded in the duo worked albums when touring together. The solo stuff is kept for when they are solo touring. They keep it real and they have a good reputation for knowing musically what the fans want, and what the fans respond to in a concert. As they continue to record and tour both individually and teamed up…. they sell out venues wherever they go. Just proving that really good songs and music are long lasting and can’t be associated only with a certain era. Great songs and music transcend time frames.

The guys ran through a lot of the hits that are well known and loved as well as a couple that maybe the more than casual fan would know. Daryl Hall & John Oates have always surrounded themselves with talented people and they continue the tradition with their latest band, all of who have been in the music scene themselves for various lengths of time. All of them showing a unique dynamic that lent and interacted together as a band without over shadowing or trivializing any part of the whole. The crowd was loving the interaction between members, playing phrases and then the other instrument echoing and things build to an exciting release. You feel joyed, you feel tired…I don’t smoke but if I did I think I would have had the cliché cigarette after.

We have Shane Theriot (Pronounced Terry-O) on guitars, and backing vocals. Lending his vast skills to the songs we all know and love and providing an individual stamp of this talented guitarist… enough to bring surprising and delightful phrase runs on several songs.

Then we of course have every ones favorite Florida son, Charlie DeChant on saxophone, flute, percussion, keyboards and backing vocals… it’s always a delight to see him perform with Daryl and John. Coming out and carefully sauntering along the stage and close to the stage wings and the audience. Looking ever dapper and cool in his suit. His whimsical ways making you smile as he interacts with the audience and lets you know it is OK to have as much fun as he is… as he plays that sax. The man has some lungs!

On drums Brian Dunn, this guy has been part of the New York City Music scene for well over 20 years, playing every style of music you can imagine.  Always awesome to see him play and get his drum face going when he plays. A true pleasure to see and hear him perform as he keeps the beat for a song and throws in some awesome fills and accents. Brian actually walked right past me in the lobby and though I so wanted to say a hello, but I gave the man his well-deserved privacy since he was supporting a friend of his coming to see the show too.

Porter Carroll, oh wow… this guy is so infectious. His energy and smile as he does his percussion’s and backing vocals just pulls you in, it can’t be helped. So soulful and powerful. The man masterfully interweaves his percussion’s with the music you almost do not even think about it. It’s alive and yet non-intrusive to the overall fabric of a song. It’s like it was just born into being. Never feeling forced and when he plays and does his bombastic backing vocals it’s like his musical soul is there for all to see. Magical.

Klyde Jones on Bass bringing the thump and making you feel it. Another artist that just seems to be having a genuine good time and sharing it all with the audience. There were times that the sound mixer masterfully highlighted and end note on that Bass and you could feel it thrum through your chest cavity. Incredible!

Then we have Eliot Lewis, keyboards and backing vocals… Elliot may only play Keyboards and does backing vocals for the show, but the man is a spectacular well rounded musician and singer in his own rights. Eliot Lewis is an American rock, R&B and soul singer who also is at home as not only a keyboardist, but a guitarist, bassist, and drummer as well. However for The Daryl Hall & John Oates tours he plays keyboard and backing vocals. Another true pleasure to see this guy play… bringing powerful playing and a razor focus to the music.

Daryl Hall & John Oates as usual wowed the audience bringing us all on a musical journey that spanned some of their most loved hits and a few surprises here and there for the deep fans, and for those hard core fans, we even got to see John Oates play his original 58’ fender Stratocaster that he has had forever.

By the end of the show my hands and arms had grown very tired from clapping, and when the inevitable encores came, the whole place by this time just stayed on their feet to dance and sing and clap along. Daryl Hall & John Oates are still as relevant as ever, both as song writers and performers. If you try to define them by any certain era, then my friend… you have no clue.

That’s what it’s all about as we all left, happy, giddy and energized.

Daryl Hall & John Oates are on tour now so check your local ticket listing or the official Daryl Hall & John Oates web site for dates. The tour stretches from 2015 and into 2016 zo check it out!

Edwin Millheim

Rock on people!


About the Author

whitelotus@aol.com'

Edwin Millheim is a freelance writer since the 1980's has worked in comic book scripting and story writing, for such magazines as Shadis magazine, Anime A2. and also has worked on role playing game creation and adventure creation in the role playing industry as a freelancer (For such companies as Hero Games ,Palladium Books Rifts Index and Adventures Vol 1 hook line and sinker story contributor) working over the years with his editor and co writer for many projects, Donna Millheim, his wife, together... wrote the "electronic games" article for Funk And Wagnalls Encyclopedia Edwin has also worked as writer on comic adaptations to some of his writer/created role-playing games such as Bright Future (Sci Fi) and Unknown Eagles (Based in World War II), and Moonsfar: Warrior's Creed.(Sword and Sorcery) Has also worked as an actor for various live action stunt shows and worked as action fight coordinator and action coordinator for film, and tv and live shows. He is also the Lead singer and Lyric writer for the band Dragon and Berr, who he works with his Drummer wife. Other than the albums they have released over the years, he has also started producing and mixing and mastering for other artists from his wife and his label Loose Bolt Records. All in all likes to keep busy, his first love will always be gaming though.



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