(October 29, 2023) Pardon the cliché, but it has to be said: Saturday night was a "feel good" time for all when the original Tony, Toni Tone trio took to the stage for a near-sellout crowd at Dallas' Fair Park Music Hall.
Admittedly, there was a late start to the performance----Timothy Riley, Dwayne Wiggins and Raphael Saadiq didn't appear until 8:45pm----but DJ Prince kept the eager crowd moving until then. It's likely that the die-hard fans would have been thrilled with a simple, straightforward run-through of their enviable catalog, but instead, the 'Tonyies' provided a montage of art and film on a screen backdrop that narrated the influence of their Oakland CA roots, the cultural and political events that shaped their surroundings, as well as other Cali-based success stories like Hammer, Too Short, Sly Stone, Ice Cube, DJ Quik and the late director John Singleton.
(October 29, 2023) Pardon the cliché, but it has to be said: Saturday night was a "feel good" time for all when the original Tony, Toni Tone trio took to the stage for a near-sellout crowd at Dallas' Fair Park Music Hall.
Admittedly, there was a late start to the performance----Timothy Riley, Dwayne Wiggins and Raphael Saadiq didn't appear until 8:45pm----but DJ Prince kept the eager crowd moving until then. It's likely that the die-hard fans would have been thrilled with a simple, straightforward run-through of their enviable catalog, but instead, the 'Tonyies' provided a montage of art and film on a screen backdrop that narrated the influence of their Oakland CA roots, the cultural and political events that shaped their surroundings, as well as other Cali-based success stories like Hammer, Too Short, Sly Stone, Ice Cube, DJ Quik and the late director John Singleton.
After basking in a thunderous standing ovation, Riley, Wiggins and Saadiq joined their six-piece band, horn section and three background singers (the most recognizable amongst them was LaToya London, a finalist from season three of American Idol) and launched into a stirring, a cappella rendition of "Wade In the Water" before exploding into "Little Walter," expressing humble pride when nearly every verse was echoed by the audience.
The first half of the show, apropos to their 20+year absence from collectively performing, belonged strictly to their classics: artistic imagery helped to keep the mood going, underscoring hits like "For the Love of You" and "Slow Wine" with color and synergy. It wasn't as needed with "Whatever You Want," as Wiggin's vocals were all but drowned out by the crowd. "If I Had No Loot" and "Let's Get Down" were introduced by artistic renderings of Ice Cube and DJ Quik, respectively, each sung with the same agility as the originals.
After a 10 minute intermission, the second half spotlighted the solo prowess of Saadiq: he's not the most flamboyant performer, but his warmth, charisma and physical dexterity (all of the Tonyies are 50+, but still move and sound like men half their ages) made it clear where his staying power came from. He smoothly segued through "Get Involved," "Still Ray," "Be Here" and a lush version of "Ask of You." He even demonstrated a short resume of smash hits he's composed for other artists, including "Love of My Life," "How Does It Feel" and of course, the inescapable Beyonce jam, "Cuff It."
After the soothing "It Never Rains (In Southern California)" and couples' favorite, "Anniversary," nearly everyone was roused to their feet for "Feels Good," assuring the much-beloved band that yes indeed...even after an extended hiatus, it worked it out and they worked it in, Tony Toni Tone has done it again.
By Melody Charles