{"id":737,"date":"2012-09-09T20:00:56","date_gmt":"2012-09-09T20:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=737"},"modified":"2015-10-13T16:13:32","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T16:13:32","slug":"the-temptations-arena-theater-houston-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2012\/09\/09\/the-temptations-arena-theater-houston-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"The Temptations – Arena Theater – Houston, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by Dave Clements <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 09, 2012 at 08:00 PM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Image\"I\u2019ve got sunshine on a cloudy day<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When it\u2019s cold outside I\u2019ve got the month of May\u2026.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

These are words that for many years I\u2019ve longed to hear sung again live\u2026.and all of the sudden they were right there in front of me, causing me to stop in my tracks and do nothing but listen to \u2026. My Girl.<\/p>\n

The one and only Temptations, dressed as if it were 1965 when I last saw them, still attired in all red tuxedos standing before me at the cozy Arena Theatre.\u00a0 And I am wondering why I\u2019m so blessed to hear this music again so many years later.<\/p>\n

I say this as these guys were only slightly older than I was when I saw them that first time in Virginia Beach.\u00a0 Now only one of the original guys is still alive, Mr. Otis Williams.\u00a0 He is the backbone of the group today\u2026 over a half a century later!\u00a0 The rest have all sadly been recast but joyfully with extremely competent replacements.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll come back and share more about 70 year old Otis a little later in this review.\u00a0 Now let me talk about this group and the music of\u00a0 THE TEMPTATIONS.<\/p>\n

The \u2018in the round\u2019 Arena was a near perfect venue for these\u00a0 five gentlemen as they went one by one through the tunes that made the Temps so popular for so many years.\u00a0\u00a0 These same tunes keep them touring still today, show after show, month after month, around North America.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"These days, besides Williams, the group consists of\u00a0 Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Joe Herndon, and Bruce Williamson.\u00a0 Together they are a very tight, well rehearsed team that individually and collectively can absolutely sing with the best of them.\u00a0 These 5 gents are so fluid together and dance in such a way that their movements become part of the song.\u00a0 These signature moves have always been an important part of what the Temptations were all about, right from the beginning as a Motown first teamer.<\/p>\n

They sounded great and almost every one of the 1500 people in attendance knew every word that was being sung on stage, reciting them as they stood on their feet, swaying and enjoying every minute of it.<\/p>\n

The guys went through a set list of 17 songs, albeit 3-4 were part of a medley of hits.\u00a0 They had plenty of classic material to choose from. Highlights for me were \u2018Ain\u2019t Too Proud To Beg\u2019, \u2018Ball Of Confusion\u2019, \u2018I Wish It Would Rain\u2019, \u2018Just My Imagination\u2019, \u2018Papa Was A Rollin\u2019 Stone\u2019, \u2018I Can\u2019t Get Next To You\u2019, \u2018Get Ready\u2019, \u2018Treat Her Like A Lady\u2019, \u2018(I Know) I\u2019m Losing You\u2019, and as previously mentioned clearly in my Top 10 of all time, \u2018My Girl\u2019.<\/p>\n

One song they did that I thought was more of a message to the American music public than a song, was\u00a0 \u2018We Ain\u2019t Tired Yet\u2019.\u00a0 Indeed, they didn\u2019t look tired, or sing tired, or dance tired.\u00a0 The opposite is true in every instance. Beyond that, behold Mr. Bruce Wilkinson!\u00a0 At over 300 lbs, he is incredibly smooth and light on his feet.\u00a0 My\u00a0 \u2018impressed meter\u2019 topped out on this BIG MAN\u2026BIG TIME.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"Before ending, I want to come back and spend a minute on Mr.\u00a0 Otis Williams. Whether or not The Temptations had performed as great a show as they did, last night in Houston Texas we had a legend among us.\u00a0 This Texarkana, TX guy is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has been in the music business for over 50 years.\u00a0 He has won multiple Grammy Awards and, because of him, I got to experience one of the most enjoyable Sunday evenings I\u2019ve spent in a long time.\u00a0 Thank you Mr. Williams, thank you Temptations of 2012, you did not disappoint.<\/p>\n

The only \u2018low light\u2019 of the evening was when some phony prima donna or \u2018who do you think you are to interrupt the show\u2019 woman presents each of the guys with a bouquet of red roses.\u00a0 This same woman would be the type to yell \u2018Play Freebird\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0 I don\u2019t like that behavior at a concert and this was just as out of place and disruptive\u2026give me a break!<\/p>\n

Until next time hope you keep it between the navigational beacons.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Dave Clements Sep 09, 2012 at 08:00 PM I\u2019ve got sunshine on a cloudy day When it\u2019s cold outside I\u2019ve got the month of May\u2026. These are words that for many years I\u2019ve longed to hear sung again live\u2026.and all of the sudden they were right there in front of me, causing me… <\/p>\n

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