Concert Review
Mint Condition and Case
Majestic Theatre, Dalls
March 29, 2013
By Melody Charles
Concert Review
Mint Condition and Case
Majestic Theatre, Dalls
March 29, 2013
By Melody Charles
A packed house, balmy spring breezes and nearly two hours of live music expertise courtesy of our generation's baddest band made "Good Friday" even better when Mint Condition regaled a packed-out venue as headliners of the Ladies Choice show at Dallas' Majestic Theatre this weekend.
Whether you witnessed the quintet's show for the very first time or were part of the super-loyal FOOM fanbase who catches their performances at any given opportunity, you certainly got your money's worth when Jeff Allen, O'Dell, Lawrence El, Rick Kinchen and Stokley Williams served up old school-era classics and jams from their latest Number One-debuting CD, Music at the Speed of Life, kicking off with its highly-charged opening track, "Inside the Moment" and charging through nearly a handful of other favorites ("I Want It," "U Send Me Swingin'," So Fine") non-stop, with the multi-faceted frontman, Stokley Williams working the electric guitar as fluidly as his footwork and vocal range.
The fact that a recent episode of Unsung chronicled their humble St. Paul, MN beginnings and decades of musicianship wasn't overlooked, thanks to bassist Rick Kinchen thanking fans for "supporting live music" and keeping us in the game for over 20 years now." It was hard to determine what was more rewarding--- the band's skillfully-rendered cover of Barry White's "Playing Your Game, Baby," capably performed thanks to their instrumental prowess and Williams' lower register. 
Almost as impressive as their medley of unbroken hits---"Love Of My Life," "Forever In Your Eyes," "If You Love Me," "Slow Woman," "Believe In Us," etc.---was the band's energy, whether it was Brandon Commodore's and Williams' extended frenetic drum-off, spinning 1996's rocking "Sometimes" into a reggae-inflected jam session (with Jeff Allen's saxophone adding a cool flourish) and the tender twists that are still found in their sing-along finale, "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)," one of the many songs that the audience stood up on, slow-danced to and parroted back word-for-word and adlib-for-adlib.
Their opening act was 90s-era crooner Case, who still had the vocal chops to carry off enduring favorites such as "Missing You," "Faded Pictures," "Touch Me, Tease Me" and "Happily Ever After," but his stage banter was more suited for a hip-hop concert than a 'Ladies Night,' thanks to his frequent f-bombs, awkward attempts at humor ("I love Dallas---y'all killed the president, but it's all good") and a confession that mirrored the audience's final sentiment all too well: "The only reason I came to was to see Mint Condition."
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