Jon Batiste played the first show of his first-ever headlining tour on Friday at Portland, OR’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
The grand symphony hall was packed for the sold-out show, which also served as the opening of the 2024 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival presented by PDX Jazz. The crowd buzzed with youthful excitement, though most of the audience seemed to be at least ten, if not 20 years older than the 37-year-old Batiste.
After a brief opening performance by vocalist DeSz, the lights dimmed and the curtain opened to reveal an elaborate stage design, with risers elevating half of the six-piece band, props, and a backdrop resembling the psychedelic desert scene in the trailer for Batiste’s recent album, World Music Radio, and the video for the single “Calling Your Name”.
Batiste burst onto the stage like a rock star playing an electric guitar instead of starting on his native piano. During the opening “TELL THE TRUTH”, he was all over the stage, spinning like James Brown or Prince one minute and then darting over to the pianos on either side of the stage the next. The New Orleans native has grown into quite the dazzling showman since his days sitting behind the piano on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
As Batiste and his band worked through a set of mostly original tunes from throughout his discography, a theme began to emerge. That theme was nicely distilled when, after finishing “I Need You”, Batiste led the crowd in a call-and-response singalong of the pre-chorus, filling the spacious hall with the words, “In this world with a lot of problems / All we need is a little loving / Thank you, thank you, oh, you make me / Thank you, thank you for your love.”
The crowd cheered in recognition of the opening groove of “FREEDOM”, which Batiste performed at the Grammys in 2022 before taking home awards for Album of the Year, Best American Roots Performance, Best American Roots Song, Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, and Best Music Video. Not more than 20 seconds into the song, he halted the band and admonished the crowd for their lack of movement.
“Where I come from, New Orleans, when you play music like this people, don’t stand as still as you,” he said, making it clear that he was not going to let the crowd off easy just because of their age. Everyone stood up and let loose as the band started the song again.
Additional themes including empowerment, gratitude, and the preciousness of life were weaved throughout the set, which featured an impressive array of musical styles. From the blues-based “Cry” and the laid-back honky tonk two-step of “Master Power” to the reggae-infused “Be Who You Are” and modern-sounding, electronic-influenced pop tunes “Raindance” and “Drink Water”, Batiste demonstrated his appreciation and mastery of various musical forms from around the globe.
Other highlights of the performance included powerful audience call-and-response singalongs and a brief New Orleans-style second-line parade that saw Batiste march among the crowd, not just through the aisles, but actually across a row of seats, giving some lucky fans an extremely intimate encounter with the bandleader.
The set ended with an emotional “Butterfly”, a song that started out as a lullaby he wrote for his wife when she was undergoing cancer treatment, after which the crowd beckoned Batiste back to the stage, chanting his name in unison. With the parting words, “I love you even if I don’t know ya,” Batiste left the stage as his band finished the encore.
After earning ample accolades and racking up an impressive list of musical achievements, Jon Batiste has come into his own with his first headlining tour. By synthesizing his fantastic musical abilities and charismatic personality with the simple yet profound gospel of love he has been preaching for years, he has created a show that is more than a concert, it’s a celebration of life, love, music, and other grand mysteries. As he said after playing a particularly potent “Master Power”, “It’s more than entertainment; it’s a spiritual practice.”
Click below to view a gallery of photos from Jon Batiste at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, OR courtesy of Norm Eder. Batiste’s Uneasy Tour: Purifying The Airwaves For The People continues with shows throughout North America. For a full list of upcoming tour dates and to purchase tickets, visit his website.
