Darlene Love – Clermont Performing Arts Center (Concert Review)

Vocalist on hundreds of classic sessions including lead turns with The Crystals, Darlene Love proves, at age 74, that she’s still got what it takes, belting out her old hits and featuring new tunes written by the likes of Costello, Springsteen and Webb.

Despite the somewhat ironic title of her new, Steven Van Zandt-produced album, Introducing Darlene Love, Ms Love should need no introduction to anyone who was near a radio in the 1960s. In addition to singing back vocals as part of The Blossoms, Love featured as the lead voice on Phil Spector-produced hits like He’s A Rebel, He’s Sure The Boy I Love and (Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry.

But before she got to those chestnuts, Darlene had more contemporary material to get to. Bruce Springsteen’s right-hand man Steven Van Zandt has attempted to get Love the recognition she deserves by producing her new album featuring new songs written specifically for her by Elvis Costello, Jimmy Webb, Van Zandt and The Boss himself.

The setting for this show is a brand new venue located a few minutes outside of Orlando, Florida. The Clermont Performing Arts Center is a former church and this is the “Red Carpet Gala”…black tie optional. So the audience consists mainly of well-to-do local luminaries dressed in the finest, while the mayor of Clarmont provides a brief introduction.

It’s not an ideal setting for rock and roll, but Darlene Love and her 12-piece band quickly make the best of it and after a couple of songs, members of the audience are on their feet clapping and singing along.

The first half of the show is dedicated to the new album, with Love performing nine songs starting with Steven Van Zandt’s Among The Believers. At age 74, Love looks and sounds incredible. Her voice is as strong as ever and she owns the stage.

The band, featuring a three-piece horn section and three backing singers, creates a big sound that recalls Spector’s Wall Of Sound combined with classic 70s Springsteen.

The new songs sound fantastic and the first set ends with Jimmy Webb’s epochalWho Under Heaven…sounding much like his classic MacArthur Park.

After a brief intermission, Love and her band return and announce, “We’re gonna do some classics”.

And they do, beginning with her two hits with The Crystals, He’s Sure The Boy I Love and the sublime, He’s A Rebel, both from 1962 and both originally produced by Phil Spector. Regarding her old producer she notes, “Look where he is and look where I am!”

Love’s own backing vocalist grab the spotlight to start off Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home acapella, Love’s own 1963 hit which eventually segues into a rousingDa Doo Ron Ron.

Love then brings some gospel back to the former house of worship in the form ofMarvelous, another track from her new album. Her performance generates the first of several standing ovations.

Then it’s back to rock and roll with Joan Jett’s Little Liar and Springsteen’s Night Closing In.

Darlene Love then brings it home with a dramatic River Deep Mountain Highand the Steven Van Zandt-penned gospel number Jesus Is The Rock (That Makes Me Roll).

Then the lights went up, and the crowd was quickly ushered out, to reconvene in the lobby for post-concert coffee and desserts. Very nice.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Dave Grillo:

 

Darlene Love set list:

1. Among The Believers
2. Love Kept Us Foolin’ Around
3. Sweet Freedom
4. Still Too Soon To Know
5. Just Another Lonely Mile
6. Painkiller
7. Last Time
8. Forbidden Nights
9. Who Under Heaven

Intermission

10. He’s Sure The Boy I Love
11. He’s A Rebel
12. (Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry
13. Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home/ Da Doo Ron Ron
14. Marvelous
15. Little Liar
16. Night Closing In
17. River Deep Mountain High
18. Jesus Is The Rock (That Keeps Me Rolling)