Opening Night | Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life

Last night legendary performer Stevie Wonder began the 11-city Songs In The Key Of Life Tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Wonder and his band played a three-hour show that included a full performance of his iconic 1976 album Songs In The Key Of Life as well as a bonus treat.

Wonder spread the 21 tunes from Songs In The Key Of Life over two lengthy sets and ended the performance with a lone non-Songs In The Key Of Life number -“Superstition.” In between songs Stevie bantered about a number of topics including rumors his fiancee is having triplets (there’s only one baby coming), how there needs to be more accessibility worldwide for the disabled and the need for gun control (and pointed out a family in the crowd who lost a child in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre).

Stevie’s massive band was directed by keyboardist Greg Phillinganes according to the New York Times and vocalist India.Arie made several appearances throughout the course of the evening on songs such as “Saturn” and “Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing.” Radio.com’s report says that the Wonder band featured six backing vocalists, a string section, two guitarists, three keyboardists, two drummers, two percussionists, a six-piece horn section and bass player Nathan Watts. Would also those performers lead to a “Vegas-y” evening? Radio.com says no, “Wonder isn’t just a great musician and performer, he’s a great producer, and knows which musicians to use on each song; the entire ensemble were rarely all onstage together, and even Watts spent some time on the bench. There may have been a lot of musicians, but Wonder was economical. No one was performing on a song if they weren’t needed.”

The tour continues on Sunday night in Washington, D.C.

Videos

[“Superstition” shot by Scott Gibson]

[“Another Star” shot by Scott Gibson]

[“As” shot by Scott Gibson]

Setlist