The rain bands of Tropical Storm Hannah started moving into the Triangle Friday night, but that didn't keep people away from downtown Raleigh to see the legendary Chuck Berry perform.Berry's set was moved up an hour in an attempt to avoid heavy rain and the move was mostly successful. I arrived at the main stage during some moderate rain to find a sea of umbrellas leading up to the stage. It made it hard to find a decent vantage point, but it was great to see approximately a thousand people toughing it out to see Berry play.
Chuck Berry is now 81 and though he doesn't quite have the chops he once had, he still puts on an entertaining show and seems to still love doing what he does. The set was short, but included "Johnny B. Goode" which got the crowd excited.
Berry invited women up to dance on stage during the last song which turned the close of the set into a big party. The women were really into it, some maybe a bit too much, but who I am to judge.
All in all, it was a wet but good night.
[Update: Check out this great story of how Chuck Berry arrived for his show Friday night. Once again, this proves just how cool Chuck Berry is.]
[photos by Kevin Norris]
4 comments:
Kevin - it's odd that you would knock the lineup of the Rock Hall Benefit with such gusto and then post about how Chuck Berry's still got it after all these years. Nothing better to do on a Friday night?
They've all still got it after all these years!!
If you think Chuck Berry is in the same league as anyone part of the Rock Hall show, you need to check your rock history. All those guys have Berry to thank for their careers.
wow, you cannot be serious. how many names on the line up for the hall of fame benefit deserve as much reverence as chuck berry? when you mention their names do ears perk up? seriously.
i understand as much as anyone that taste plays a big part in who we find important musically. i have numerous friends who despise groups like the beatles or the rolling stones, yet they are not so naive as to think someone like styx or boston are as important to the history of music.
and lets look at it, 81 is pretty old by todays standards, especially when it comes to being a performer. i can only home i have that kind of energy or stamina at 61 let alone 81.
i dont doubt that the hall of fame line up have a harder time now than in their heyday. but this is chuck berry, at 81. would you say the same if someone said BB king still had it at 82?
Middle of a tropical storm, the legend Chuck Berry, on stage, 82. still reeling and rocking, yeah forgot a line or two, still rocked the place, the girls,Cuck uses that as his outro, girls on stage but while girls were dancing everyone was watching he was heading outthe back BUT if you listened, that last 10 minutes he was tearing that shit UP, I have played guitar for 20 years and am 40, yeah he is 82 a nd misses a beat now and then, but at my best I am not near him at his worst, so bow to MR Berry.
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