Romance and inspiration bookend Howard Hewett’s Shalamar-stacked City Winery sell out

Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Funk, R&B and disco fans first got a sampling of Howard Hewett’s silky voice in the classic line-up of “Soul Train” offshoot Shalamar alongside Jody Watley and Jeffery Daniels, though he also led the group after they left to the soundtracks of “Footloose” and “Beverly Hills Cop.” The hits kept rolling on his own throughout the rest of the 1980s and ‘90s, leading to a consistent presence on the road and steady stream of single releases as of late in lieu of long players.

A Shalamar set anchored by “The Second Time Around” and “For The Lover In You” found Howard Hewett dancing with a few lucky ladies in the seating area and even jumping across several chairs to get a closer view as the collective roar easily exceeded his microphone’s volume.

Hewett’s latest, “U R The One,” served as a springboard to a sold out City Winery where he appears regularly all across the country and praised for being a platform that cultivates direct interaction with fans. “I know I’m standing in front of a very sophisticated audience tonight,” he exclaimed prior to that sole new tune, which was indeed received with respect, but there’s no question many came for the oldies.

The Grammy-winner made sure to oblige “Show Me” as a showstopper that expertly reached the upper ranges of his falsetto and indicated fellow crooners like Brian McKnight or Maxwell likely did their homework on Hewett. It was one of several selections that featured the evening’s sole keyboard/piano playing musician, which would’ve surely benefited from a fully fleshed out live band instead of merely pre-recorded tracks.

Nonetheless, no one seemed to mind, especially when a Shalamar set bookended by “The Second Time Around” and “This Is For The Lover In You” found Hewett dancing with a few ladies in the seating area and even jumping across several chairs to get closer as the collective roar easily exceeded his microphone’s volume. On his way back to the stage, the headliner was stopped in total surprise by a long lost pen pal who wrote while suffering from a serious heart condition that would’ve likely robbed him of seeing a 30th birthday, let alone ever having children.

Not only was he there in the flesh exactly three decades later (and married with two kids of his own), but he credited Hewett’s encouragement to keep the faith as a valuable part of the healing process. The singer was obviously choked up throughout a lengthy embrace, which couldn’t have set up the beloved gospel crossover cut “Say Amen” any better to end the romantic turned inspirational performance with everyone’s hands raised in praise.

Click here for more photos of Howard Hewett at City Winery.

For additional information on Howard Hewett, visit HowardHewettMusic.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at City Winery include Peter Collins (Aug. 26); Lalah Hathaway (Aug. 27-29); MPG (Aug. 30); John Gorka (Aug. 31); The Lotus Kings (Sep. 1); Labor Day Party (Sep. 2); Leahy (Sep. 3); Pure Prairie League (Sep. 4); Brian McKnight (Sep. 5-6); Frank Orrall (Sep. 7); Stephane Wrembel Band (Sep. 8); Dante Hall (Sep. 9); Berlin (Sep. 10); Chely Wright & Alice Peacock (Sep. 11); Laith Al-Saadi (Sep. 12); Smells Like Nirvana (Sep. 15); Rhett Miller (Sep. 16); Glenn Jones (Sep. 17); David Cook (Sep. 18); Ronnie Baker Brooks (Sep. 20); CeCe Peniston (Sep. 22); Roger Clyne Acoustic (Sep. 23); Greg Laswell (Sep. 25); Billy Cobham Crosswinds Project (Sep. 29) and Toronzo Cannon (Sep. 30). For additional details, visit CityWinery.com/Chicago.

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Romance and inspiration bookend Howard Hewett’s Shalamar-stacked City Winery sell out

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