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TORONTO - "Oh, I'm having so much fun!" shouted Lenny Kravitz just over an hour into his sold-out show last night at Massey Hall.
The retro-rocker's enthusiasm during the Toronto stop of his so-called Electric Church tour was downright contagious.
In fact, anyone witnessing Kravitz's exhilarating, energetic and exciting performance would never have guessed the 40-year-old singer-guitarist was battling depression, frustration and burn-out leading up to last year's release of his latest album, Baptism.
Kravitz, who was due at the Molson Amphitheatre last September but postponed his entire North American tour due to "family matters," seemed practically reborn on stage last night.
Kicking off the hour-and-forty-minute concert with Minister Of Rock 'N Roll, the lead off track from Baptism, Kravitz and his 10-piece band thankfully kept the new material to a minimum, (The new record was probably my least favourite in his 16-year discography due to its preponderance of droning ballads.)
The religion-infused Minister, however, set the tone for what would be a funky, soulful, psychedelic and jam-heavy evening of music with major style provided by a huge "LK" in gold and white lights above drummer Cindy Blackman's kit.
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The crowd went nuts as soon as Kravitz walked on stage with his arms raised in the air, so you can imagine the near hysterical response right at the end of the show when the well-muscled, heavily tattooed rocker actually ripped his black tank top in half and went shirtless. (For the record, both nipples are pierced.)
Kravitz's physical beauty aside, he proved to be a real showman jumping off the stage and running into the audience to jump up on a chair and make his point more emphatically during the second song, Live. He wisely kept the mood upbeat and positive, encouraging concertgoers to dance in the aisles with a plea: "I need to feel you!"
Frankly though, we could have all done without the two ballads, Again and Lady, that only dragged down the encore which otherwise came to stunning end with Are You Gonna Go My Way?
Not surprisingly, other song standouts were major rock workouts -- Where Are We Runnin'?, his cover of The Guess Who's American Woman, Tunnel Vision, Always on the Run, Dig In and Fly Away. Notable slower highlights were the very soulful Let Love Rule, Kravitz's first major hit that goes all the way to his 1989 debut of the same name, It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over, Believe and Fields Of Joy.
Special mentions should go to the expert playing of Blackman and guitarist (and Toronto native) Craig Ross, as well as the three-man horn section that kept things appropriately funky.