Recap: Cameo at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix
Everyone’s allowed a pure and simple nostalgia trip from time to time, right? For me tonight, it was the funk/soul/R&B of Cameo that brought me back to simpler days. Crazy to think that the last time I saw Cameo in concert, Ronald Reagan was president and I was a junior in high school.
After discovering Prince in ’84, I threw myself into all the funky sounds I could get my hands on. Cameo was a huge part of that mid-80’s funk explosion in my life. Sitting in my room, cranking up the volume on “Flirt”, “I Just Want To Be”, “Candy”… and taping all the videos on BET’s Video Soul and New York Hot Tracks – “Attack Me With Your Love”, Single Life”, and of course “Word Up.”
So when I saw that Cameo was stopping through Phoenix in this year 2013, I jumped all over it.
The wife and I headed down to the Celebrity Theater, an old school theater-in-the-round room in Phoenix (Bruce Springsteen played there in 1974). It was around 9:30 when the house lights went down and out walked the familiar faces of Tomi Jenkins, Charlie Singleton (covered in a space-age silver Mardi-Gras mask), and of course the one and only Larry Blackmon.
Larry’s put on a few pounds, shall we say, and can’t jump around with his bandmates like he used to, but the big ol’ red codpiece was still on display, and he was still busting out his signature moves… The rest of the band were fit as could be. They looked great. They busted out all the familiar moves, shaking it to “Candy”, “Single Life”, “Attack Me With Your Love”… slowing it down for “Why Have I Lost You” and “Sparkle”… and laying down the old school funk with “Flirt” and “Keep It Hot.”
The crowd participation during “Candy” was a crowd favorite – with the ladies and the fellas trading off the line “It’s like Candy” one after another. Overall, the crowd was full of energy, and showed some serious love to the veterans of Cameo, now in their 34th year as a band.
It wasn’t a long show – only 12 songs with no encore, lasting about 70-75 minutes. But we didn’t mind. Sure, we all wanted more, but we were happy just to forget about the day to day for part of a Friday night; to listen to the sounds that bring back those good memories, and be just fine with letting the nostalgia wash over for a little while. Music, sweet music…
~~~ Set List ~~~
Cameo
January 18, 2013
Celebrity Theater
Phoenix, AZShe’s Strange
Single Life
Attack Me With Your Love
I’ve Got Your Image
Why Have I Lost You
Hangin Downtown
Sparkle
Candy
I Just Want To Be
Keep It Hot
Flirt
Word UpHere’s a little bit of “Flirt” from the show…
Looking Back: Cameo
I know I speak for all middle class suburban white males in their late thirties when I ask: “Where the hell is Larry Blackmon??“
Okay, well maybe not – but I do get nostalgic for the funky old days of Cameo from time to time. They were one of the first live acts I ever saw, back when I was 16 and 17 years old. Most know ’em only for “Word Up”, and maybe for songs like “Candy”, “Attack Me With Your Love”, or “Single Life”. All great tunes from great albums.
But fact is the boys had been around since the early to mid -70’s, when the Julliard-trained Blackmon formed the New York City Players. In ’76, they changed their name to Cameo and signed to Casablanca’s Chocolate City label.
Their debut, Cardiac Arrest, was released in ’77, and gave the world what they never lost: dance-able, funky music with a heavy dose of quirkiness.
I’m all about the quirk.
Cardiac Arrest looks to be wayyy out of print, but you can find “Rigor Mortis” and other classics on the The Best of Cameo…
Hot Video Action
Take a look at this great title track to ’82’s “Alligator Woman”…
VIVA EL CAMEO!!!
