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Diana Ross ageless, energetic in sequins, feathers and a sweat suit Posted on 01/30/2013 by Hector Saldaña
By Hector Saldaña Diana Ross delivered a concert for the ages at Majestic Theatre on Tuesday – definitely one that will go down as one of the best of the year.
That the glamorous, upbeat star did so with such ease is the real story.
She turns 69 in March. But this legend is ageless. Ross also showed that divas (like everybody else) wear sweat suits, too, sometimes.
Of course, in Ross’ case it was when she came back for her second encore after fans refused to leave – even with the house light up and the goodbye music playing.
The joyous night was filled with costume changes, trademark stage moves, smiles, dancing and, of course, an avalanche of hits for a crowd of about 2,300.
The show was sold-out.
Appearing onstage in a jeweled white gown, Ross opened with “I’m Coming Out.” The effect was electrifying and had the entire house on its feet.
Ross wasn’t about to let them back down, either.
Her excellent horn-driven band, augmented with three background singers, launched into the Spiral Staircase’s bouncy hit “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday,” which served as much as a vehicle for Ross to toss her head back and play with her curly black mane.
At Monday’s public afternoon rehearsal at the theater, Ross declined requests to sing a Supremes’ song. She must have been saving them for Tuesday.
Ross obliged with the cooing 1966 hit “You Can’t Hurry Love.” Later, she would absolutely nail the autobiographical “Love Child,” complete with its straight-to-the-heart hook – “Yoo-hoo-hoo” at the end.
She was playful one moment, mournful in the next with “Touch Me in the Morning.” Often, she clutched the microphone with both hands, swaying to the beat. She played it up in the spotlight, too. But there was more than star worship going on.
Ross was never a big-voiced singer, but rather an extraordinarily distinctive and expressive one – perfect for pop. Her voice retains its sexy edge which cuts still through any mix.
“Upside Down” generated some good-time moments with three fans joining Ross onstage to dance. She was perhaps at her greatest singing disco hits like the No. 1 “Love Hangover,” which established her as a disco era diva.
A wave of disco joy swept the venue and she kept it going with “Ease On Down the Road.” The snappy soul music, which was a disco mainstay, is a far cry from today’s electronic club music and seems almost quaint in comparison.
Indeed, nostalgia was a big part of the evening. But Ross didn’t revel in, or dwell on, the past. The presentation was straight forward –except for the star’s feathers and orange, silver and black gowns and dresses.
Sometimes the concert had the feel of an old-school Las Vegas show with Ross accepting a fan’s gift of roses or singing breathlessly on songs like “The Look of Love” and later the happy “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.”
Much more stunning was her reading of Billie Holliday’s “Don’t Explain,” from the film “Lady Sings the Blues.” Ross sang each line as is she’d lived them and also displayed her blues and jazz vocal chops.
One of the night’s sweeter highlights was when Ross invited members of a handful of local gospel choirs, led by director Joyce Garrett, to join the band onstage for “Reach Out and Touch.”
She closed her 17-song set with Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”
Ross returned (“You’re gonna wear me out,” she said) but her fans refused to let her get away with one encore. Even with the house lights up, they chanted, whooped and clapped for several minutes.
Usually, that’s it. Not this night.
She returned wearing a black sweat suit. It was an unscripted moment.
“What have we got that we haven’t done,” Ross asked her band. She answered with “I Love You (That’s All That Really Matters).”
Here’s betting that Ross knows that’s a two-way street.
Staff writer Michael Quintanilla contributed to this report
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