Daryl Hall & John Oates with Train and Kandace Springs

Hall and Oates (photo by Jordan Raiff)

         With over 40 million records sold, seven platinum records, six number one hits, and over 45 years performing together, Daryl Hall & John Oates have truly been there and done that. This time around, with Train along to join them. With multiple platinum albums, Grammy awards, and songs that have become a supersized part of our culture, Train are no slouches themselves. Not to be out done, Kandace Springs has had an incredibly successful career in her own right. Closing out for Prince’s 30^th anniversary show for Purple Rain, this soulful singer is not only gifted vocally, but she plays the keyboard with a deep passion many just cannot deliver.

Kandance Springs (photo by Jordan Raiff)

            With her simply flawless trademark afro that catches the lights of the stage and provides an almost angelic glow to her, and magnificent large hoop earrings Kandace Springs makes her presence known from the moment she hits the stage. Bringing a small two piece band (a bass guitarist and drummer), Kandace gets the job done in a beautifully minimalistic way. While only eight songs long, her set showcased just the tip of the iceberg for what she is capable of. One of the highlights of this set is her cover of ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ by Bonnie Raitt. Many people have attempted to cover songs over the years with many failing to do it justice, while making their own version. This is not the case here. Kandace has done nothing less than transform this song into a deeply soulful version. Her range truly makes the original version almost come up short.

(photo by Jordan Raiff)

            Appearing on stage very quickly after her exit, Train came on with an almost polar opposite set. Video displays going full tilt from the time they entered, a full band, and a 14 song setlist, Pat Monahan and the rest of the band don’t just have a concert to perform. It’s an experience to behold. While they have had tremendous success with ’50 Ways to Say Goodbye’, ‘Save Me, San Francisco’, ‘Hey Soul Sister’, and ‘Drops of Jupiter’, once you see them perform these songs live, it becomes abundantly clear that they aren’t just a ‘pop hit’ factory. They can bring the energy in person in a whole new way.

Drew Shoals, Train (photo by Jordan Raiff)

Giving away t-shirts to the crowd, and a Steven Stamkos jersey that was signed onstage by the entire band, they made a connection with the fans that many bands tend to overlook. Scanning the crowd you saw people from all walks of life dancing to their songs. As a matter of fact, many in attendance never even used their seat the whole set. The whole set was jam packed with excitement, and yet the most unique part was their crowd lead sing a-longs to ‘Black Dog’ from Led Zeppelin and ‘Free Fallin’’ by the immortal Tom Petty. The band didn’t miss a step despite how accurate these songs need to be played to do them justice.

Patrick Monahan, Train (photo by Jordan Raiff)

            Completing the night was Daryl Hall and John Oates. Opening up with the dance along favorite ‘Man Eater’ their 15 song set (two of which were encores) spanned a large chunk of their catalog. Covering ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’’ from The Righteous Brothers took everyone in attendance back. While some went back to when they originally heard the song, many were taken back to the days of ‘Top Gun’. This really set the tone for the whole show.

While they have had great success as a duo, Daryl Hall would be remiss not to bring Pat Monahan on stage with him. As one of the widely regarded top episodes of ‘Live from Daryl’s House’ they really have a great chemistry together. With Pat coming out to join them midway through the set, their song ‘Philly Forget Me Not’ paid great homage to their hometown, and was a real treat to hear in person. Noticeably ‘Calling All Angels’ had been omitted from Train’s setlist, and when they belted into it, the audience became nearly deafening as they sang along with them. Yet this didn’t take away from the magic of this moment. If anything it added to their amazing performance, and showcased how a compilation of artists on a great song can really make the whole night all the more memorable. Closing out with an encore of ‘Rich Girl’ and ‘You Make My Dreams’, they had little to no choice but to let the audience sing it not just with, but for them. Contributing as the audience allowed, this classic hit was a great way to pull into the station and end this Train ride.

Hall and Oates (photo by Jordan Raiff)

As the tour rolls on, they next roll into the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday June 26^th. They will play on for another 18 dates after that, before ending in Seattle, WA on August 11^th. It does not matter if you have seen these artists before, or if this will be your first show. It’s not just a family friendly show, but one that is well worth the price of admission. With many great artists beginning to wind down their touring days, these groups are ready to roll on, and if you don’t make it out there, you’ll always be left wondering ‘what if’. I for one am glad that I will not be having that question. Will you?

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