John Legend with Robin Thicke. At the Arlington Theatre,
Friday, November 17.
Reviewed by Charles Donelan
aisles for most of the night at this concert, a rare local
appearance by a Top 40 soul artist. Standing or sitting, the crowd
showed their love for these singers by keeping up a steady stream
of squeals from the girls and encouragement from the guys.
Opener Robin Thicke has a local connection through dad Alan and
a very polished and high-impact set to promote his new CD, The
Evolution of Robin Thicke on StarTrak/Interscope, Pharrell’s label.
Justin “Timberlite” jokes and John Legend’s momentary confusion
about his name aside, Thicke has a great voice and lots of stage
presence. His style favors Marvin Gaye, and he didn’t miss a note
in some very challenging arrangements. Whether or not the world
really needs a white Usher, right down to the
heart-on-the-Gucci-sleeve confessional songwriting style, is up to
you and everyone else on iTunes; but if the answer is yes, Thicke
is the man for the job.