Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The O’Jays brought their smooth sounding Philly Sou to the Seneca Events Center in the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino for a lovefest of babymaking music on July 20.
As the O’Jays, Eddie Eric, and Walter have been making music together for over 50 years. Playing before a packed house of dancing and screaming fans the trio wandered about the stage performing music that spanned their career. Backed by a live band that included local musicians on horns, there was no need for any electronic enhancements beyond a microphone.
The band dedicated the show to the ladies in the audience and thanked the men for bringing those ladies.
The O’Jays opened the show with “Ship Ahoy” – a song they said was a sign to move forward – that was accompanied by a slideshow on the video screen.
The set also included “Living’ for the Weekend”, “Forever Mine”, “Cry Together”, “I Love Music” “Stairway to Heaven”, “Back Stabbers”, “Use ta be My Girl”, and “For the Love of Money”.
Sitting on stools, the trio went way back to the early days of their careers for a medley of songs that the guys noted that anyone who remembered the songs was really old…like them. Whether they were old or just avid music fans, members of the audience did know the songs and joined in.
Fans who had seats along the outside of the venue or in the back of the room frequently got up to dance while others near the front of the venue became the fourth O’Jay and readily joined in on the singing.
Though less than an hour and a half in length, the show was filed with tunes that were easy to sing along with…and dance to…for a fun evening that ended all too soon.