Dave Stewart brought another magical night of music to Hollywood on Monday night October 3 at the iconic Troubadour nightclub in Hollywood. The masterful English rock guitarist is, perhaps best known as one-half of one of the most successful pop duos of the 1980’s The Eurythmics. He has been a regular fixture in the Hollywood music scene over the last several years, playing numerous jam sessions in the most prestigious small venues around town, including the Troubadour, Roxy, El Rey Theater and the Ricardo Montalban Theater. Billed as Dave Stewart and Friends or the Dave Stewart Rock And Roll Circus, the extended jam sessions always feature surprise guest singers, which in the past have included Joss Stone, Pink, Ringo Starr and Marilyn Manson to name a few. But the well-known singers that join Stewart on the stage are just part of the musical magic that the self-proclaimed ringmaster creates. The shows also include a phenomenal band of veteran sessions musicians that Stewart put together to create several albums at the Nashville studio owned by John and Martina McBride, the Blackbird Studios.
The Hollywood shows have even included the Lucha VaVoom alternative circus, featuring masked Mexican wrestlers, burlesque dancers, and acrobats. The shows always showcase new talent from the stable of performers that Stewart produces. The marathon concerts, with tickets never costing more than $25.00, are all unique and truly astounding musical events, each in their own right. The shows feel even more special in the light of the immense success of Stewart in undertakings ranging from film and television production, music production, author, director, photographer, filmmaker, and philanthropist. Two years ago, Stewart appeared on the 50th-anniversary television special honoring The Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, alongside Annie Lennox, in a Eurythmics reunion. He also filled the Hollywood Bowl for three consecutive nights the same year, doing concerts honoring the 50th anniversary of The Beatles performance at the Bowl.
The latest incarnation of Dave Stewart and friends featured long time collaborators from his Nashville session, Randy Cooke on drums, Jon Button on bass, Michael Rojas on keyboards and the multitalented Dan Dunmore on guitar and pedal steel guitar. The band played several songs from Stewart’s extensive collection of solo albums, before bringing out guest saxophonist, Michael Lington who laid down a rock jazz jam perforce that wowed the crowd for several songs. Back-up singers Stevvi Alexander and Holly Quin-Ankrah then took over vocals for a spine-tingling rendition of the Eurythmics classic, Here Comes The Rain Again.
The main guest of the night, New Zealand vocalist Jon Stevens then took the stage. Although he is a New Zealand-born singer of Māori descent, he moved to Australia and became a citizen of that country in 1981 to pursue his music career. He has been in many successful bands, including a two-year stint in the classic 80’s rock band INXS, after the death of their original lead singer Michael Hutchence. On Ringo Starr’s 76 birthday last July 7, Stevens appeared with Stewart in front of the iconic Capitol Records building, right beside Ringo’s star on the infamous Hollywood “Walk Of Fame,” to sing several songs with Ringo. Stevens and Stewart have reportedly been working on a secret new album together called Starlight. As soon as Stevens began to sing it was apparent why Stewart chose him to work on the project. The bluesy singer belted out a tirade of classic rock tinged wailing vocals throughout the rest of the night.
There were more surprises yet to come, in what has become a trademark of the unique musical events that Stewart has orchestrated. Towards the end of the set, Stewart brought out another guest, Vanessa Joy Amorosi, an Australian singer-songwriter and recording artist. Although not that well known in the United States, her combined album, and single sales have reached over 2 million worldwide. The veteran singer with a phenomenal vocal range was a good matchup, holding her own in duets with Stevens that astounded the audience. The night continued with a surprise rap song by yet another young Australian guest singer.
The entire entourage returned for a spellbinding two song encore of Eurythmics classics, “Missionary Man”and “Sweet Dreams.” The packed audience in the tiny theater all sang along with the band in what surely felt like a magical mystical moment for all involved.
