Review: Hall and Oates, Train make dreams come true in Utah
Daryl Hall and John Oates perform at the Hoagie Nation Festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 29, 2017.
Daryl Hall and John Oates perform at the 3Arena in Dublin on Oct. 29, 2017.
Daryl Hall and John Oates may be over 70, but they’ve still got it.
The legendary soul duo made a stop in Salt Lake City to perform at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Tuesday night as part of their summer tour with Train.
Hall said although the band has visited the Beehive State in years past, it felt like his first time performing in Utah.
“First time is the best time, as they say,” Hall told the crowd. “Y’all are friendly, looking good, all good things.”
The duo had audience members young and old on their feet, dancing and singing along from the get-go, opening with 1982 classic “Maneater.” And the hits kept on coming as the concert progressed through the night, from “Out of Touch” to “Kiss on My List.”
Hall said the band would “explore all eras” throughout the set and was true to his word. It seemed each hit the group performed came from a different Hall and Oates album. He talked about how “She’s Gone” brought Hall and Oates into the world in the early days and continues to define the duo. And after performing “Sara Smile” for what I’m sure must have been the umpteenth time, he said “it still feels real.”
Hall’s voice has evidently matured, and his vocals were safe compared to the virtuosic riffs recorded on the duo’s albums. But his timeless tone fans know and love was still there, and his performance showcased the professional musician he has become over decades in the business as he rotated between playing the guitar, piano and keyboard throughout the night.
Oates, who mostly sang backup and played guitar throughout the concert, took a turn leading the vocals on the duo’s cover of The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ ” from Hall and Oates’ 1980 “Voices” album. His lower, bass tone suited the verses perfectly, and the crowd evidently enjoyed hearing this classic cover in the mix.
“It was a song that we kind of added to the album at the last minute, and I’m sure glad we did,” Oates said of the cover. “It’s a great rock ‘n’ roll song, one of the greatest of all times.”
The duo had a tendency to let its songs drag on with long outros, which was especially evident in its performance of “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” which culminated in what felt like an endless solo fest after all that is good about the song had already been said and done. This is probably my favorite Hall and Oates song, and I’ll admit even I felt a little relieved when it was over.
Train lead singer Pat Monahan took the stage for the second time after this number to join Hall and Oates in performing the collaboration’s new single “Philly Forget Me Not,” a beautiful and touching interpretation of “Wait For Me” that prompted a standing ovation and Train’s classic “Calling All Angels.”
Earlier on in the concert, Train performed a set with tunes from the band’s early days, including “Meet Virginia” and “Drops of Jupiter,” as well as more recent hits like “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” and “Play That Song.”
The band also debuted a new song, “Call Me Sir,” which Monahan said is set for release in two weeks. The pop song was slow but catchy with lyrics and a chorus that are fun and easy to follow. The group also performed covers of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” “Heartbreaker” and “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)” early in the set.
“We are incredibly excited to be out with Daryl Hall and John Oates and their great band, and so we thought maybe we would slip back into the past a little bit and share with you some of our inspiration,” Monahan said leading into the covers.
Train proved it can rock with the best of them and yet also knows how to take it down a notch. Monahan mostly stuck to singing vocals, but he picked up an acoustic guitar once during the night, fingerpicking as he sang a sweet and soft rendition of “Marry Me.” Lead guitarist Luis Maldonado of Park City then switched out his electric guitar for a small brown ukulele as the band performed the always fun “Hey, Soul Sister.”
Monahan kept the audience’s attention by turning the mic to the crowd often to finish lines and repeat phrases. And the band’s catchy songs and lyrics had even those who were likely just there for Hall and Oates grooving to the beat.
At the end of the night, Hall and Oates left the stage after performing their upbeat “Private Eyes.” But the crowd’s cheers were unrelenting, and the band soon took the stage once again to perform an encore including “Rich Girl” and “You Make My Dreams.”
As the full house shuffled out of Vivint Smart Home Arena on Tuesday night, it was evident Hall and Oates’ high-energy Utah tour stop with Train had in fact made many dreams come true, including mine.
Vivint Smart Home Arena
May 8, 2018
Maneater
Out of Touch
Did It in a Minute
Say It Isn’t So
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’
She’s Gone
Sara Smile
Is It a Star
I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)
Philly Forget Me Not (with Pat Monahan)
Wait for Me (with Pat Monahan)
Calling All Angels (with Pat Monahan)
Kiss on My List
Private Eyes
Encore
Rich Girl
You Make My Dreams
50 Ways to Say Goodbye
If It’s Love
Get to Me
Whole Lotta Love/Heartbreaker
Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)
Call Me Sir
Meet Virginia
Angel in Blue Jeans
Save Me, San Francisco
Marry Me
Hey, Soul Sister
Play That Song
Lost and Found
Drive By
Drops of Jupiter