Daryl Hall & John Oates

“Down in front!” The house lights had just been turned off and a white arch of LEDs framed the stage in blinding white. The young girls in front of us had the audacity to stand up for the headliners and the guy beside me wasn’t having it. He yelled at them a few more times before they finally gave in. Luckily for them (and the rest of us who were there to have a good time) they didn’t have to sit for long. A few seconds later Daryl Hall and John Oates took the stage with their 6-piece band and people finally found their feet. I’m sure there were those who stubbornly sat in protest, but majority ruled and 90% of the audience were on their feet for the entirety of the Hall & Oates set, which was actually kind of funny, given that it was the most mellow set of the whole evening.

Having seen Hall & Oates perform at the 1stBank Center a couple years ago, I thought I knew what to expect. I have fond memories of that performance, with the exception of hating the venue. We were crowded together in rows of folding chairs on the floor of the arena with no room to move or dance. I also remember the show starting and ending way too early. In fact, I think it was almost over by 9:00pm, which just happened to be their starting time at Red Rocks. That being said, the show started out much the same. “Maneater” opened things up before Daryl addressed the crowd, and then they went right into “Out of Touch”. Being outside at Red Rock was so much better than being cramped into that corporate events center up north. It helped that the opening acts had really warmed things up as well. I don’t even know if there was an opening act last time. The setlist diverge a bit from there on out, but “Say It Isn’t So”, “Las Vegas Turnaround”, “She’s Gone”, and “Sara Smile” were all common denominators.

John Oates had shaved his trademark porn stache in favor of a pencil-thin goatee, but he still rocked the curls. Daryl Hall had aged quite a bit, but he hid the years behind long blonde hair and big sunglasses. They both looked much younger than 68 and 69 years old. Appearances aside, they sounded much like they did when they were rockin’ the airwaves through the 70’s and 80’s. The main set lasted about an hour and it was jam packed with classics spanning a career from 1973 – 1984. They knew better than to indulge themselves in newer material. The audience was there for the hits. The songs recalled a time long past, but the music didn’t sound dated at all. “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” might have gone on a little long, and the Charles DeChant-led sax jam session might have drifted a little too far into dentist-office jazz territory, but that just provided enough time to go grab one last beer before the first encore.

see more at http://ilistensoyoudonthaveto.com/2016/09/14/hall-oates-trombone-shorty-sharon-jones-red-rocks-09-12-16/

Saturday 28th October. Hall and Oates. The O2, London. So it’s the fourth gig in four nights for me and I am beginning to wane. Luckily, Chris Isaak has blasted the cobwebs away with a charismatic performance that rolled back the years for me.

I am really looking forward to this as I saw Hall and Oates back in the day and it is still up there with one of the best gigs I have been to and there are over 700 to choose from.

Unfortunately, tonight will not be regarded in quite the same esteem. One of the positively surprising aspects I have noticed about the O2 is that despite its size the sound is usually very good. Given the great show that Chris Isaak had just put on with crystal clear sound I am at a loss what happened in the interval.

From the very first notes something wasn’t right. Often it can take a couple of songs for the soundman to make the adjustments of a venue once its filled with people but it was if there hadn’t been any sound check. The vocals were too low in the mix, the sound was muddy, and lacked clarity, there was unintentional feedback throughout, strange clicking noises and a nasty hiss on the quiet moments. The problems were not limited to front of stage as Daryl Hall was keeping remarkable self-restraint as he was beset with problems from the monitors on stage. He spent most songs gesticulating to the stage sound guy to expand the sound, make it punchy and raise the levels. The guitar tech got it in the ear every time he changed guitars.

This distraction couldn’t help but impact his performance. Whilst professional throughout, this must have had an effect. Hall is unbelievably 71 years old and Oates is 69 and both look amazing. Their back catalogue is the songbook of my generation with a plethora of hits throughout the eighties. You all know them. To keep it fresh they had changed the arrangements on some of these which didn’t always work for me and I think some of that is in part to Hall not being able to make some of those notes any more but they compensated with the rest of the band delivering the ensemble harmonies.

To add to the sonic mess on stage there were also a couple of video and lighting glitches which didn’t help. Only when Hall got behind the grand piano did we have some clarity of sound. It’s a real shame as it did take the edge off the night. You can’t fault too much with their personal performance and there were many singalong moments but the lasting memory will be of a show let down by the techies. Still it was nice to hear two of my favourites tunes back to back with ‘She’s Gone’ and ‘Sara’s Smile’ played again.

Till the next time, keep on rockin y’all

Hall and Oates is arguably one of the greatest bands of the 20th century. With their special blend of rock, pop and soul, which has been categorized as "blue-eyed soul," they have managed to stay relevant for decades.
Having recently been inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hall and Oates have cemented themselves as rock icons.
Seeing Hall and Oates in concert should be on the list for any serious rock fan. You will be blessed with their greatest hits from the 70s and 80s, as well as a few gems that weren't radio hits. Rest assured, whether you are a casual or die-hard fan you will not be disappointed! If you are able to do so, Hall and Oates should be seen in a "smaller " venue. Their show at The Majestic Theater In San Antonio was amazing even from the upper balcony. The acoustics were amazing! Hall and Oates neither have nor do they need a lot of trappings in their shows. You will not get a distracting light show or a stream of costume changes. What you will get is a solid show from two amazingly talented men and the band that has backed them throughout the years.

This is the third time in three years I have seen Hall & Oates--prior to that it was about 30 years ago. While they put on a great show, they have a HUGE catalog of music and they won't get through them all, so you might not hear your favorites, which is what happened to me this time. (Love "One on One") Their big hit "I Can't Go for That" is NOT one of my favorites, and they turned this into about a 20 minute jam. Some might have been thrilled, not me. That is not to say I didn't have a great time at the show. Their opening acts; Kandance Springs was fair IMO. However, their other act, Train--just WOW. I knew a few of their songs, no particular opinions, but they put on a HELL OF A SHOW! Pat Monahan was energetic, worked the hall to huge success and made me a fan. They treated their time onstage like the headliner, sang a new song coming out in two weeks, and later joined Hall & Oates during their set. If you are a H&O fan and haven't seen them in years, do go and see them. I don't mind hearing new music, I just wish they'd play more of their songs, perhaps play a bit longer?

Had excellent seats for the show via the presale on Tears For Fears web site. I had never seen Tears for Fears before, but was on my bucket list to do so. Lighting and sound was superb. Their voices , song selection were spot on. I only wish they could have sung more. The band was really into it, and seemed to very much enjoy and appreciate the crows. As for Hall and Oats, I have to say , the songs were at a much slower tempo than the norm. I realize that live music is somewhat different than the album, I get it. However, it was way off for me. Daryl Hall embellishes a good bit. I think he likens himself to a soul singer. Perhaps he always has been and I am just not in touch. John Oates is always amazing , his voice has held up well. It's funny though, they always seem to be at odds onstage from time to time. John will say something and then Daryl will contradict him. I've been to three of their concerts in the past and have noticed that. Certainly did not ruin it for me. Anyway if you are a hard core fan, then I am sure you will enjoy it.

Daryl Hall & Paul Oates, modern day icons of blue-eyed soul who achieved huge success in the 80's with their expert blend of pop, soul and rock. Now just as iconic as ever, their set at Latitude 2014 drew massive crowds of all ages from across the festival site to the band on the main stage.

Beginning with fan favourite 'Maneater' the crowd claps proudly above their heads without prompt from the duo as they watch on in bemusement and play this classic with near perfect precision. Finishing to the sound of monumental applause, Hall thanks the crowd for coming to see them on a beautiful sunny afternoon in the English countryside before running through more of their hits such as 'Out Of Touch' and 'Say It Ain't So'.

The crowd dances beneath the sunshine and the soulful music and await their favourites such as 'I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)' which they sing along proudly. The duo thanks the British audience sincerely before wrapping up with 'You Make My Dreams'. A festival performance that is assured to go down in Latitude's history.

Halls & Oates are one of those bands that just never go out of fashion. To this day, their songs reach many, their lyrics and sound never failing to make dreams come true… see what I did there?
In all seriousness, Daryl Hall and Paul Oates are two legends in the music industry: they are veterans of blue eyed soul and old school pop-rock, a genre that has never quite been as good as when these two were it’s frontmen. From the incredibly catchy and iconic ‘You Make my Dreams Come True’ to the lyrically wonderful ‘Rich Girl’, each song they played was a tribute to the golden era of music past and the entire crowd loved the nostalgic journey that their concert took them to. The band, although they started performing in the 70s, are most famous for their 80s classics, and it was these hits that received the biggest crowd reaction. ‘Private Eyes’ and ‘Maneater’ blew a storm through the crowd and had everyone erupting into cheers and singing along.

As a fan of 40 years this was going to be something special... it never occurred to me that this could end up being special for ALL the wrong reasons.
A lacklustre set, delivered with the panache of a burger seller, this proved to be the concert dissapointment of the last 20 years. The sound quality was appalling and ruined the show. The only instrument that appeared to be at an appropriate level was the saxophone. Without the help of the crowd, singing along to every song it would have been an audible mush.
As the support act, Chris Izaaks, was superb with clear sound we can’t blame the acoustics of the O2 and Twitter seems to be showing that the sound the next night in Dublin was bad too.
It seems that no real care was taken to provide an event service of appropriate quality and I am left to remember back to Hall & Oates on previous visits to gain any resemblance of pleasure.
Left me feeling sad.

Memorable show! The Bridgestone Arena is a great venue, too. Excellent sound and amazing light show during the concert. Darryl and John performed all their big hits (I had forgotten how many there are). The intros and arrangements were updated, but not so much that I couldn't recognize the songs, enjoy them and sing along!
Darryl not only played guitar, but piano, too. He's a very gifted musician who enjoyed the show as much as the audience (estimate 20,000). And Mr. Casual, sax player Charlie, was right on form with his solos.
I highly recommend the show. If you're a H and O fan, you'll love it!

Was great to see the classic duo one more time. The great Darryl Hall remains the quintessential ambassador for Philly pop. John Oates the definitive background vocalist/rhythm guitar man. Timeless songs that take you back. Time catches up to us all, though and Hall is no exception. That outstanding instrument of his is not what it was 5-10 years ago. Still fun though.

With the amazing Trombone Shorty and Sharon Jones, this was a strong show. It was an "oldies" affair, complete with a Chubby Checker appearance!