Music

Five thoughts: Charles Bradley at Boulevard Pool (September 18)

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Charles Bradley, performing September 18 at the Cosmpolitan’s Boulevard Pool.
Photo: Al Powers/Powers Imagery

1. I’ve only seen a smaller crowd for a Cosmo pool show once, when Steve Earle played what amounted to an industry showcase, part of the 2012 Sunset Sessions. Tonight, the pool is filled to within a few feet of the stage barricade, and even that narrow strip of standing room is loosely populated. I wonder if the Book & Stage lounge, where Charles Bradley’s infectious energy surely would have pulled passersby in from the casino, might have been a wiser booking choice.

2. On the other hand, the weather is so perfect tonight—temps in the 80s with just the right amount of breeze—it feels like we were meant to witness the man out here.

3. And despite the small throng at his feet, the showman gives us, if not absolutely everything he’s got, far more than most performers ever do, smiling, spinning, sashaying, switching outfits (red then blue then black) and, above all, singing, from a place deep within his being.

4. Bradley’s lyrics speak of peace and love and God and America, delivered with passion and vision amassed during 65 years of tough times and, of late, unexpected successes. The veteran breakout star has experienced a recent critical surge and, watching his intense and urgent stage show, it’s easy to understand why.

5. After his set ends, Bradley leaves his seven-piece band onstage and descends into the crowd, hugging everyone who comes close. It’s a shame more folks weren’t here to see him tonight, but in the end, it means more hugs for those of us who did.

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