Cincy Groove Magazine

Review and Photos by Scott Preston

I look forward everytime I have the chance to see Richie Havens perform and this time was no different. The previous 2 times I have seen Richie has been in a small venue (about 200 capacity). Which don't get me wrong, its definitely a great experience to see Richie with only a few hundred people. But where Richie performed this past Sunday (9/7), The Carnegie Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Covington, KY was much more suited to one of his performances. The show was in a theater that had a classical Greek style to the architecture and held about 450. The range in ages at a Richie Havens show is something that amazes me every time I see it. Richie's music reaches across age groups as was evident by the audience Sunday night. I saw a baby there that couldn't have been older than a few months, what a cool story this kid is going to have, their first concert being Richie Havens!, and people all the way into their 80's.

Richie started right on time, he strolled out onto the stage holding his guitar and waving to the crowd. Richie started off the evening with a Bob Dylan tune, All Along the Watchtower, which right away had the crowd cheering. On a side note I think Richie Havens is one of the best interpreters of Bob Dylans' music hands down.

After Watchtower, he followed it up with George Harrison's "Here Comes The Sun" as well as some of his new songs off of his latest cd, Nobody Left to Crown including "One More Day". One of the highlights for me Richie's version of Maggie's Farm going right into Won't Be Fooled Again. Soon after he brought out the crowd favorite Freedom. This man plays with the energy of a 20 year old and puts every ounce of energy into his performance. After Richie left the stage the crowd stood and cheered for him to come back out, and he played a great "You Are So Beautiful to Me".

More Photos - Richie Havens, 9.7.08, Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center, Covington, KY