Isaac Hayes
November 28, 1998
Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, ON
Who's the black soul sensation from the 70's thats still a sex
machine with all the chicks? Damn right, it's Issac Hayes, who made a long
overdue appearance in Toronto November 28. Since Hayes is riding high as
one of the voices on the hit cartoon South Park, and hosts his own radio
show Monday to Friday in Manhattan, he doesn't get to do live shows very
often. So when he does, he pulls out all the stops with a twelve piece
band, lovely back up singers and the man himself wearing a sparkle jacket
that was a show all unto itself.
Despite some sound problems at the start, this was an evening of
vintage Issac Hayes, filled with monster funk, sweet soul sounds and even a
little schmaltz. Classic tracks like his epic versions of Burt Bacharach's
"Walk on By" and "The Look of Love" were jammed to the max, showcasing both
the band and the man. Hayes' stage presence is truly amazing as well.
Completely at home in front of an audience, he frequently introduced
numbers with long raps and stories.
When some unkept yahoos kept yelling for "Shaft" during the show
(like he's gonna leave without doing the song that has become a cultural
icon), Issac calmly replied "You have to wait. It's like musical foreplay."
And, of course, the wait was worth it as not only did they do, to quote
Cartman, a "kick ass" version, but we got to see Hayes lead the band with
his kung fu style conducting. `Yes, he's still a mean mutha, and I'm
talking about Issac Hayes, so SHUT YER MOUTH!!!'
Who's the black soul sensation from the 70's thats still a sex
machine with all the chicks? Damn right, it's Issac Hayes, who made a long
overdue appearance in Toronto November 28. Since Hayes is riding high as
one of the voices on the hit cartoon South Park, and hosts his own radio
show Monday to Friday in Manhattan, he doesn't get to do live shows very
often. So when he does, he pulls out all the stops with a twelve piece
band, lovely back up singers and the man himself wearing a sparkle jacket
that was a show all unto itself.
When some unkept yahoos kept yelling for "Shaft" during the show
(like he's gonna leave without doing the song that has become a cultural
icon), Issac calmly replied "You have to wait. It's like musical foreplay."
And, of course, the wait was worth it as not only did they do, to quote
Cartman, a "kick ass" version, but we got to see Hayes lead the band with
his kung fu style conducting. `Yes, he's still a mean mutha, and I'm
talking about Issac Hayes, so SHUT YER MOUTH!!!'