Stevie Wonder Brings Life to Bridgestone Arena With Marathon Show

The annual gathering of pathetic angry white men known as the NRA may be gearing up to take over the Music City Center this weekend, but just across Demonbreun, Bridgestone Arena was absolutely beaming with positive vibrations Tuesday night as pop and soul legend Stevie Wonder performed his seminal 1976 double album Songs in the Key of Life. And as the ammosexuals huddle in hotel rooms preparing to deliver their message of fear and paranoia, Wonder preached the gospel of peace, love and tolerance to the ecstatic throngs.

The festivities began as Wonder — accompanied by another soul-singing heavyweight, India.Arie, who was featured prominently throughout the show — walked out and chatted with the crowd, setting the tone for an informal and, given the cavernous venue, surprisingly intimate evening. Wonder gave a couple of shout-outs to Music City, recalling how Johnny Cash once took him to the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he even sang a couple lines of the Lovin’ Spoonful classic “Nashville Cats.”

Wonder spared no expense to re-create the Life's lush arrangements. There were so many musicians onstage it was hard to get an accurate headcount, but The Spin estimates there were more than 30 players, including six background vocalists, a horn section, two drummers and two percussionists, a couple of guitarists, keys and 10 local string players contracted for the evening.

Naturally, given the man and the album, there was no shortage of highlights. Epic jams such as “Sir Duke” and “I Wish” had the whole arena dancing. The classic ’70s-style fusion instrumental “Contusion” showcased the exceptionally talented backing musicians. (Side note: How two trap-kit drummers managed to stay so tight in a big boomy arena is just mind-boggling.) Arie joined Wonder for a lovely version of “Saturn,” off the bonus EP “A Something’s Extra” that was included in the original special edition vinyl release. A stirring version of “Joy Inside My Tears” clearly had Wonder himself moved to tears, as he took a moment to regain his composure. He also performed a mini-set on the unusual stringed instrument known as the Marcodi Harpejji, including nods to Nashville’s country roots with snippets of Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away” and the Ernest Tubb classic “Walking the Floor Over You.”

In an attempt to share the love, Wonder made a point of highlighting his backing musicians. All six background singers were highlighted in an amusing sing-off, some horn players were featured, his bass player Nathan Watts got a lot of love, and he gave his keyboard player a couple of nice long solos — as if he couldn’t have handled that task himself. During “Knocks Me Off My Feet,” he even shined a light on one of our hometown string players, Dave Davidson, who rose to the occasion.

The most touching moment came when Wonder called his daughter Aisha on Facetime to wish her a happy birthday. After getting the crowd to sing the chorus of his song “Happy Birthday” to Aisha, he chatted with her, joking with her about how bad she was as a kid, to which Aisha could be heard responding, “Shit!” and giggling. That prompted Wonder to kick off “Isn’t She Lovely" by singing, “Isn’t she nasty.”

What was most captivating about Wonder’s performance — outside of his voice, which after 64 years is still one of the must stunning instruments on the planet — was the pure, unmitigated joy radiating from him through the whole evening. Obviously all the music was rehearsed, but nothing felt scripted. He told quite a few stories, some more entertaining than others, but that was part of the charm. It was like we were in his living room hanging with the man, and he was just trying to make us feel at home. He’s been doing this his whole life, yet his unbridled enthusiasm is a thing to behold.

Was Meghan Trainor mixing front of house? If there was one quibble, the bass was over-the-top loud for most of the night, which occasionally muddied the sound a bit. And this from The Spin, and we love to crank the bass.

After the band finished Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie assumed an alter ego, DJ Tick Tick Boom, and proceeded to “spin” a medley of some of his greatest hits, among them “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” “Living for the City” and one of most uplifting pop tunes of all time, “For Once in My Life.” Then he broke into what is surely the most recognizable Clavinet riff of all time, “Superstition,” for a roof-raising finale that had him calling Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler out to join him on vocals. He also brought out Dave Chappelle, who had just finished his set at The Ryman, referring to him by the name of one of his most famous impersonation subjects, rapper Lil Jon.

It was a spectacular evening of music, and the audience was one of the most diverse we’ve ever seen at a concert in Nashville — and we're guessing a tad more diverse than you'll see at the NRA convention this week. If anyone entered the arena feeling jaded or down, it’s doubtful they felt that way nearly four hours later as they stepped out onto Lower Broadway. If there’s any testament to the goodwill Stevie Wonder has engendered in our hearts, it’s that we can give him a pass for calling Steven Tyler onstage for finale. If he can instill that sort of love in The Spin, that’s a true miracle.