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Concert Review by: Janel Spiegel
Joss Stone
20 Years of Soul
Service Electric Stage at
Wind Creek Event Center
Friday, September 1, 2023.
Welcome September. How are you doing? Good! That’s good. You know what makes my soul happy? Music and concerts. Joss Stone DELIVERED!!!! Showed up, SANG, she put her heart, and soul into this show. Let’s backtrack a bit. It was a beautiful day in Bethlehem, PA. Fans came from all over. I met people from all walks of life, all ages, and just happy to be at a concert. People want to let loose, dance, and sing.
Songwriter and musician, Stephen Wilson Jr. opened the show for Joss Stone. He was funny, lighthearted, and has one hell of a magical, soulful, GRIMEY AND GRITTY voice that makes you want to dig deep inside your soul, and question everything you’ve done in life. He spoke about his father who raised him. The people in my section were all chatting as usual. I was talking to everyone. (Big surprise, Janel’s talking to people. SHOCKER!) We discovered his father was a boxer, and got Stephen Wilson… “like the volleyball” into boxing also, and this gentleman is from Southern Indiana and went to pursue a degree in Microbiology, SO, the man is SMART, he can make an Acoustic guitar do things some people never saw an Acoustic guitar do before.
He performed, “Holler from the Holler,” “Billy,” “Year to Be Young 1994,” which I must say it was a good song. A nice homage to the nineties, and what music was. He told a few more stories, he talked about meeting Joss Stone, and how they wrote a song together. That is TRULY the best when you see an artist live, and you know they wrote the songs they are performing.
The crowd was hyped for Joss Stone. Stephen “with a PH” Wilson Jr. hyped the crowd even more. His dry sense of humor, and he mentioned how awkward he can be, we’re all awkward my friend. The 1994 song took me back. It was everything, MUSIC is everything. It’s the life soundtrack you get to create for yourself, for special moments. It made me tear up a bit.
Joss Stone and her band, OH HER BAND! You can tell how much respect Joss Stone has for her background singers, and her band. They are BEYOND AMAZING. They took it to church; I need my soul cleansed NEXT level. This show was perfection. Joss Stone started with “Super Duper Love,” “Fell in Love With A Boy.” She told some stories about her journey with music. Twenty years of albums, singles, touring all over the world. She performed “Jet Lag,” which is just *Sigh*… “I got jet lag and I never even left the ground. See it’s like that every time you come around.” How can YOU NOT love that song!
She performed, “Proper Nice,” “The Love We Had,” “Even The Sky,” and then went into one of the best Reggae medley’s EVER. Joss Stone, you’re right, there isn’t anything Reggae can’t fix. It could be the saddest lyrics in all the galaxies, and you add a one-of-a-kind Reggae beat, and everything is okay. No worries.
Her Bass player, her drummer, the background singers. The saxophone player, the guitar player. It was exquisite, it makes you make that angry, I want to just get up and dance, and forget about life. It was amazing. Joss Stone also came down into the audience. She wanted to check on the crowd and make sure we were all present, and ready. A few awesome fans got hugs, and a chance to sing with Joss Stone. The crowd was ecstatic over this moment. There is a spiritual lightness about Joss Stone. She walks around the stage with no shoes on, she’s so flowy, and just has so much heart. This show was unreal. If you ever get a chance to see her perform live, RUN, GO SEE HER. Do it.
She talked about her world tour, and the song they asked her to write to bring the rain. It’s called, “Rain Song.” She collaborated for that song. She also performed “Music,” which was a love song to music. “Music deserves a love song.” She is so right; music deserves all the love songs. She has this free, happy energy. She performed songs from “Introducing Joss Stone.” “Soul Sessions,” “Water for Your Soul,” and more.
Joss Stone also paid homage to her mentor, the incredible Betty Wright, “Clean Up Woman.” Such an icon, such an incredible talent. Joss Stone sang, “Right to Be Wrong” for Betty Wright, “I Put a Spell On You,” originally written by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and Herb Slotkin. Joss and her band finished up but there is nothing better than a “one more song” chant from a hyped crowd, so that was her encore along with “Some Kind Of Wonderful,” a Soul Brothers Six cover. What an amazing show. “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Piece of My Heart were incredible too. Joss Stone brought all the love. She put her heart and soul in that entire show. Make sure to go and see her in concert if you get the chance.
https://www.instagram.com/stephen.wilson.jr
https://www.windcreekeventcenter.com/
