There was a rock ‘n’ roll revival taking place down on
Luckie St. in Atlanta as one of the biggest rock stars on the planet proved why he deserves the title.
With a raging play list including “Fly Away,” “American
Woman,” “Mr. Cab Driver,” “It Ain’t Over til It’s Over” and a host of other
hits, Lenny Kravitz put on one of the most explosive shows of the year. After
spending most of the early part of the day taping a spot for the “Monique Show,”
Kravitz took the stage like a prize fighter, and the crowd responded with
euphoria to every guitar riff and every crash of the cymbal. “This is the first
time I’ve gotten to see him!” said Candace, 31. “This show is ridiculous — he’s a
great artist and one of the best performers I’ve seen.” Kravitz is celebrating
the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Let Love Rule.
Playing to a packed house at the Tabernacle in Atlanta,
superstar rocker Lenny Kravitz quickly took command of the show with
the energy and enthusiasm of an upstart artist giving his first show. Kravitz
tore through a bevy of fan favorites, but the roof was blown off by his
scorching performance of “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” The band complimented Lenny’s boundless energy perfectly, from the hyper-animated drummer to the
horn section to an organist that could switch styles from Lower East Side cool
to Mississippi backwoods hot. But Kravitz’s ace-in-the-hole was virtuoso guitarist, Craig Ross.
His epic solos and duels with Kravitz highlight both musicians’ talents as
instrumentalists and improvisation, and Kravitz gave Ross an extended showcase
in the middle of the performance.
“We’re going through some tough times,” Lenny said pensively
before launching into his first hit song, “Let Love Rule” as an encore. The crowd enthusiastically
joined in for the song’s Beatlesque sing-a-long hook — but to the surprise of
everyone — Kravitz had a major surprise for fans at the end of song. During a jam session
with his band, as the audience continued to sing the chorus, Kravitz invitedJermaine Dupri, Nelly, and the recently-reformed Goodie MOB
onstage to sing with the audience. What ensued was an impromptu jam session
that brought the house down, culminating in Nelly and CeeLo of Goodie MOB leading the audience through more of “… Rule.” It’s been 20
years since that initial hit made Lenny Kravitz a household name and for the
artist dismissed early on as a Prince wannabe, Kravitz has managed to carve out
twenty years of musical territory to call his own. And his fans, both the
famous and not-so-famous, all came out as a testament to his rich and storied
legacy. –todd williams
