*Kirk Franklin closed his 20 Years In One Night Tour in the Bay Area, and the 3,000+ who packed Oakland’s Paramount Theatre were treated to a show the likes of which I haven’t seen since…
Well, now that I think about it, I may have never seen anything like Franklin’s show. I’ve been blessed to see many of the great live performers of my lifetime. Franklin’s Saturday night performance may well have been the best concert — of ANY genre — I’ve ever seen.
I’ve been a fan of Franklin’s since the beginning of his career, but I’d never seen the artist live, and wasn’t sure about what to expect from a live Franklin show, as he’s as much preacher as singer.
I needn’t have worried. Kirk sang Saturday night. Let me be clear: Kirk SAAAAANG. Kirk also danced, giving David a run for his money during several parts of the show and appearing at times as a sanctified Michael Jackson. The show was less concert and more experience, with Franklin serving as a praise and worship leader who worked the stage and our hearts like the love child of James Brown and Mahalia Jackson. He covered all of his classics, like “Why We Sing”, “Silver & Gold”, and “Stomp”, while leaving plenty of time for “Wanna Be Happy” and other favorites from his current, Grammy-winning Losing My Religion album.
source: eurweb.com
