Dionne Warwick
Bergen Performing Arts Center – Englewood, NJ – November 7, 2024
Review & Photos – Rebecca Wolf
https://www.instagram.com/rebeccawolfconcertphotos/
Having recently seen the legendary Dionne Warwick perform on TV at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where she received a Musical Excellence Award, I knew what she looked like and how she sounded. Warwick is a six-time Grammy Award-winner and has sold over 100 million records. A total of 56 of her singles made Billboard Hot 100 from 1962 to 1998, with 12 of those in the Top Ten. However, there’s a vast difference between seeing someone on TV and experiencing them in person. On November 7th, at Bergen Performing Arts Center, the adoring crowd filling the sold out venue seemed to take a collective gasp as Ms. Warwick glided onstage looking resplendent in her purple and blue sequined ensemble. A month shy of her 84th birthday, Warwick’s movements may have been more measured but her smile was still magnificent and her presence remained regal.
I can’t pinpoint what it was specifically but from the first notes of Warwick’s opening number, Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s 1964 hit “Walk On By,” I was instantly mesmerized. Even though many of Warwick’s songs have been a part of my childhood, my adolescence and my young adult years, I honestly wasn’t expecting to feel this strongly, to have my heart grabbed in this manner. I was wrong. Music has always been very visceral to me. It’s less about evoking memories and more about bringing up specific feelings ….feelings surrounding a certain place and time. I believe these feelings hit me as Warwick’s sweet, airy, melodious voice performed “Walk On By,” immediately transporting my heart back to the early 70s and my 6 – 7 year old self.
Warwick continued with her Bacharach and Hall hit singles, including 1963’s “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” 1964’s “You’ll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)” and 1969’s “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.” Like “Walk on By,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” brought my heart back half a century. As I quietly sang along audience members throughout the venue also joined in, never singing over Warwick’s beautiful vocals. “She sounds wonderful,” the woman next to me said in a hushed tone, looking enraptured as watched Warwick and sang in a whisper.
Warwick’s band including, bassist Danny Morales, drummer Jeffrey Lewis, percussionist Renato Braz and pianist Andre Lewis, perfectly complimented Warwick’s singing. It felt as if the silky, smooth sound of their instruments carried Warwick’s voice on a wave, never overpowering her vocals. While Warwick did not sing with a powerful voice, she demonstrated the ongoing ability to hit both high and low notes as she sang “Message to Michael” and “This Girl’s in Love with You,” with audience members softly clapping and singing along to the refrain “I need your love, I want your love.” The clapping rose in volume the moment Warwick began to sing the first notes of “Alfie,” as she sat spotlighted majestically on a stool. The crowd remained transfixed as she sang, so silent and attentive you could almost hear a pin drop.
“I re-recorded this next number with Celia Cruz,” Warwick shared with the enthused fans. Performing an upbeat salsa version of “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” the breezy island feel of the music provided the perfect moment of relaxation. The song also gave an opportunity for each band member to showcase his individual instrumental talents, including a beautiful piano solo by Andre Lewis and a passionate drum solo by Jeffrey Lewis that jazzed up the number and brought resounding applause for all. ”Three things are important to any performer,” Warwick emphasized to the crowd. It’s “The place they’re performing. The people they’re performing for. The people onstage who are traveling with them. These musicians travel all over with me,” she said with obvious gratitude and admiration as she introduced each band member.
I’m going to sing I song I really really love,” said Warwick. “Pay attention to the words,” she continued before breaking into 1998’s “If I Want To.” Even with age and changes in her vocal range and key, Warwick’s voice remains distinctly recognizable….the voice of a legend. So much of Warwick’s music is iconic that it often takes only a few notes before fans immediately recognize what’s about to be performed. This was exactly the case with Warwick’s 1979 hit “I’ll Never Love This Way Again,” that had “Ahhhs” wafting through the crowd from the opening instrumental seconds. “Sing with me,” Warwick requested of the audience members, who readily jumped in to oblige this request. “Sing it!!” Warwick commanded, prompting the crowd to sing louder, as she paused her singing to allow the audience to passionately perform, “Hold on, Hold on!” It was as if Warwick had kept a reserve of energy for this number as she rejoined on vocals and powerfully belted out the remainder of the song, as the crowd rose to heir feet, cheered, applauded and continued to sing in unison. The emotion in the theater was palpable.
This grand display was followed by another sentimental, heartwarming moment. “The next song is very dear to my heart,” Warwick shared sentimentally. “I thought it should be brought into the 21st century so I changed it. I re-recorded it as a duet and my duet partner is here with me this evening.” A buzz traveled through the crowd as all wondered who this mystery person could be. “He is tall, dark and very handsome,” she hinted before providing a resume of all of this individual’s prior professions before ending up back on stage, singing….with his mom. Joining Warwick on stage was David Elliott, Warwick’s older son, and together the two sang an amazing duet of her 1967 hit “I Say a Little Prayer For You.” Elliott had a powerful, rich, soulful voice that beautifully paired with his mother’s vocals and had the audience mesmerized. It was equally beautiful observing the banter between mother and son and the obvious admiration each had for the other, particularly Elliott towards his mother.
Warwick continued with a beautiful cover of Albert Hammonds’ “99 Miles from LA,” before performing the dramatically sweet, “What the World Needs Now,” its gentle but passionate energy sweeping the audience off their feet and compelling them to sing along. Already fully engaged in performing, the crowd was eager to continue singing during the evening’s final number, the iconic hit “That’s What Friends Are For,” 1986’s Song of the Year. Joining Warwick and Elliott, fans joyfully sang along to the beloved lyrics, “Keep smiling, keep shining, Knowing you can always count on me, for sure.” As the song came to an end, Warwick was met with thunderous applause. Sending a hug to the crowd she glided off the stage, holding hands with her son, still looking resplendent in her purple and blue sequined ensemble, her smile still magnificent and her presence still regal. While I wasn’t initially expecting to feel so passionately about the performance, day later “Walk on By,” I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” and “I Say a Little Prayer For You” continued to buzz around my head and warm my heart. What a performance! Dionne Warwick…what a treasure.
