Frankie Beverly waves a funky farewell to United Center alongside Maze after Chaka’s fab 50th

Photos by Andy Argyrakis

The amount of influence Philadelphia’s Frankie Beverly & Maze had within R&B and funk circles since getting started in the 1970s under the guidance of the late gate Marvin Gaye could never be quantified, but let’s just say it will thrive long after the members leave this earth.

Though there’s no end for Maze in sight, Beverly is finally winding down from the road, but at least the United Center had one final chance to experience the entertainer on the “I Wanna Thank You Farewell” Tour courtesy of the Black Promoter’s Collective.

At 77-years-old, the veteran’s mere presence is more powerful than ever and he rose to the historic occasion during the likes of “We Are One,” “Golden Time Of Day” and several others, casually clad in his signature whites alongside thousands of similarly dressed admirers.

The current line-up of Maze, featuring both longtimers and newer additions, was downright mighty in terms of the instrumentation throughout it all and there’s no doubt the group’s legacy will carry on in these more than capable hands.

In the meantime, Beverly held nothing back as he got “Back In Stride,” spread exclusively “Happy Feelin’s” and sparked the hefty sing-a-long of “Joy And Pain,” prior to bowing out with the ever so appropriate “Before I Let Go.”

However, that was far from the end as Mayor Brandon Johnson and Stacie Johnson, the city’s inaugural Black First Lady, proclaimed the entire day would be dedicated to the legendary band leader, followed by Chicago soul singer Danny Boy saluting Frankie via “I Wanna Thank You.”

Fellow local Chaka Khan also marked a significant milestone in her co-starring 50th anniversary slot, pulling from time fronting the funky meets disco-accented Rufus, through major splashes in R&B and pop as a solo singer/songwriter.

“This Is My Night,” “Tell Me Something Good” and “Through The Fire” were a few of the many fabulous flashbacks, culminating in “I’m Every Woman,” which was of course covered by the incomparable Whitney Houston, but still couldn’t top the one and only original.

In fact, the encore summed up every vital detail relating to the recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and that was simply “Ain’t Nobody” does it better than “Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan.”

Silky smooth opener El DeBarge, from Motown’s family of the same name, was yet another bonus as the arena swayed to numerous sky high ballads, including when he joined Khan for the superb “Sweet Thing,” and danced to the beat of the “Rhythm Of The Night,” enhancing the chance to experience three iconic acts in just as many hours.

For a list of upcoming Black Promoters Collective concerts, visit BlackPromotersCollective.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the United Center include Megan Thee Stallion (May 17 and 19); Feid (May 30); Tim McGraw (May 31); Chi City Fest (Jun. 1); Chris Brown (Jun. 7-8); Tyler Childers (Jun. 13); Janet Jackson (Jun. 19); Jhené Aiko (Jun. 20); Justin Timberlake (Jun. 21-22); Russ (Jun. 23); Windy City Smokeout (Jul. 11-14); Carin León (Sept. 19-20); Hans Zimmer (Sept. 22); Cigarettes After Sex (Sept. 23); The National and The War On Drugs (Sept. 24); Jeff Lynne’s ELO (Sept. 27-28); Charli XCX and Troye Sivan (Sept. 30); Twenty One Pilots (Oct. 1-2); Peso Pluma (Oct. 6); $uicideboy$ (Oct. 8); Maxwell (Oct. 10); Jelly Roll (Oct. 11); Maggie Rogers (Oct. 24); Justin Timberlake (Oct. 27); Usher (Oct. 28, 29 and 31); The Black Keys (Nov. 7); Sebastian Maniscalco (Nov. 8-9) and Shakira (Dec. 14). For additional details, visit UnitedCenter.com.

Chicago Concert Reviews

We’ve got the Windy City covered.

Frankie Beverly waves a funky farewell to United Center alongside Maze after Chaka’s fab 50th

Related Articles