at the Tropicana Casino Belting Out The Hits
By Gary Simmens
The large Tropicana showroom was packed for the double headliner this past Saturday night. Chaka Khan, the 10 time Grammy award winner, opened the show with her 10 piece tight band that included 3 female background singers too. Chaka Khan had part of the crowd on their feet with the first song. Opening up with “This Is My Night”, followed by the ever popular and funky “Tell me Something Good” from her Rufus band days, had everyone in the crowd rising or tapping in place.
Khan has sold over 70 million albums and had her share of fans there at the show. She kept the crowd entertained with more hits like “Sweet Thing,” ” Through the Fire,” and “I Feel For You”. Then the place went crazy when she sang the classic song anthem “I’m Every Woman.” Khan came back for an encore and performed another hit “Aint Nobody” which had every person on their feet dancing and tapping to the funky 4/4 beat rhythm. Then Michael McDonald was introduced and they performed a song together with Chaka Khan`s band still set up called “You Belong To Me,” a song McDonald wrote with Carly Simon. A quick intermission followed to allow a fast set change for Michael McDonald’s band to set up in full.
The 67 year old Michael McDonald, songwriter, plays keyboard, guitar and drums. He started out with his claim to fame, playing with the band Steely Dan back in 1974. In 2006, he joined Steely Dan again on the bands summer tour, both as a solo and opening act and later as part of the band. McDonald is perhaps better known by most for singing and writing with the popular Doobie Brothers in 1975 to 1982 years and again in 1987. A five time, multiple grammy award winner himself, McDonald, as a solo artist, now with10 albums out, has collaborated with big selling artists on recordings such as Kenny Loggins, Aretha Franklin, Toto, Patti Labelle, and even Van Halen. He also recorded for television and film soundtracks to add to his accomplished resume.
McDonald started out with ” Keep Forgetting” playing the guitar and singing in style with his 7 piece group which included one female singer adding backup and lead vocals at times on duets. He switched over quickly to keyboards and sang another hit ” Ya Mo Be There”, a duet he co-wrote with James Ingram, won them both a Grammy award in 1985, and won for best R&B performance by a duo or group. Then he performed “Here to Love You”.
The flow of songs increased when he performed six hits in a row being: “On My Own” the nice duet, followed by “Real Love,” then the classic ” Aint No Mountain High Enough,” “Real Thing,” and two Doobie Brothers classics he wrote “Minute by Minute” and “What A Fool Believes.”
Afterwards Chaka Khan was welcomed back on stage to sing a duet on the Marvin Gaye Classic “What’s Going On,” followed by the ending tune, the classic Doobie Brothers song “Minute By Minutes” with Chaka. The show was very good and the acoustics were excellent. The show ran a little longer than most concerts because of the set changes required for the two bands. The duo tour was off next to Columbus Ohio for a mid west visit of their nationwide tour.
Upcoming entertainment musical concerts at the Tropicana Casino in AC are: Saturday July 6th, Colbie Caillat featuring Gone West, as well, Chris Isaak on Saturday July 27th, and the Dark Star Orchestra (Celebrating the Grateful Dead Experience) on Friday August 9th.
