Sade
with John Legend
American Airlines Arena
Downtown Miami, FL
July 16, 2011
Review and Photos by Anthony Cave
Sade and John Legend bring out Miami’s calm folk
A concert normally would not be the ideal place to showcase Miami’s civilized people—with embroidered celebrity t-shirts, screaming fans and overpriced refreshments. That was not the case at the Sade with John Legend concert on July 16…at least where the t-shirts and fans were concerned.
Sade and John Legend
Tucked-in dress shirts, fancy dresses and a 21-and-over crowd packed the American Airlines Arena to hear 1980s&90s hit-maker Sade and smooth-singing John Legend. Legend sang hits which included “If You’re Out There” and “Ordinary People.”
Against a red light backdrop, Legend also rotated between the piano and a stand-alone microphone for songs like “Everybody Knows” and “Green Light.” The crowd listened with calmness, no “so loud you can’t hear the other person next to you” sounds or thousands of flashing camera phones.
It seemed like some people just wanted to see the Grammy-award winning Sade, as many arrived in typical Miami fashion – late.
John Legend
An hour later, Sade took the stage dressed completely in black. She sang hits like “Paradise” and “Love Is Stronger Than Pride.” It seemed like some people just wanted to see the Grammy-award winning Sade, as many arrived in typical Miami fashion – late.
The night prior, Sade performed for the Broward folks at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise. Although not a sell-out crowd, there were a healthy number of fans for this Downtown Miami show.
Sade and John Legend
Sade turned back the clock with the 1985 hit “Diamond Life” and her most recent “Solider of Love” off her 2010 album of the same name.
By definition, a concert is a musical event with people. They were not loud or raucous as most concerts, but rather sophisticated for the “Smooth Operator.”
For her first concert tour in 10 years, she was a total hit.
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