R&B ‘Legend’ plays acoustic show at IU Auditorium

A lone ebony piano gleamed under blue lights Dec. 7 at the IU Auditorium.

The audience erupted in applause as rhythm and blues singer John Legend strode onto the stage and immediately began to play.

The acoustic show put on by the nine-time Grammy winner felt more like an intimate conversation than a concert.

“I love you, John Legend,” someone in the audience yelled.

“I love you, too,” he replied, smiling into the microphone.

Legend began with the song “Prelude.”

“There’s something new for you to see,” he sang. “Come on and go with me.”

Freshman Brenda Amwayi knew the words to every song.

“It’s a John Legend concert, so it’s calm, but it’s also a sing-along type of atmosphere,” she said.

The performance was presented by the Union Board.

Though the auditorium was not full, Union Board public relations director Brad Domash said the goal was to focus on quality of the show rather than quantity of attendees.

“If we had more time, I think word would have spread a little more,” Domash said. “But everyone was very happy about the show.”

Legend took the audience back a couple of decades as he began to play Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.”

“You guys are pretty young, so I should tell you that’s a Bruce Springsteen song,” he said to the audience, who laughed in reply. “I first played this song with Jimmy Fallon and the Roots.”

He said he didn’t hear for months if Springsteen liked his R&B rendition.

Legend said he recently received an email asking him to play the song at a concert honoring Springsteen.

“After months of insecurity, I know now Bruce approves of what I did with his song,” he said.

The smooth atmosphere continued as he played “Save Room” and “Again.”

For his next piece, he called on the audience to help.

“I’m up here all alone, no background singers, no band, no auto-tune,” he said. “I need this auditorium to be my background singers, is that OK?”

The crowd responded by singing the chorus as he played his very first single, “Used to Love U.”

A glowing orange background accompanied his rendition of “Here Comes the Sun.”
“That was the Beatles,” he said to the crowd.

The mood turned seductive as he performed “Good Morning,” a song from his third album, “Evolver.”

Lance Howard drove from Indianapolis with his mother to see the show, his second John Legend concert. 

“It was one of the best shows I’ve been to in ages,” he said. “‘Good Morning’ was about to make panties drop in there.”

Legend continued with “PDA,” something Legend said is “so obnoxious when other people are doing it, but when you’re doing it, it’s awesome,” and Kanye West’s “Blame Game.” 

He displayed his range of talent as he played the hit “Tonight” and “All of Me,” his favorite song from his upcoming album “Love in the Future.”

The stage background turned green as the beginning notes of “Green Light” floated from the piano.

Legend recruited the audience to sing backup for this song and for his hit “Ordinary People.”

“It’s good to be in the Hoosier state,” Legend said. “I grew up next door in Ohio. I hear you guys have a pretty good basketball team this year. I wish you well, except against Ohio State. I still love you, though.”

Legend bowed and left the auditorium to a standing ovation – then reemerged to thunderous applause to play one more song.

He played “So High,” singing “Let’s go to the moon, baby.”

The audience was ready to follow him.

“To the moon!” someone in the crowd shouted.

Sophomore Kelsey Carlisle won the Union Board video contest to score free VIP tickets to the show, including a meet and greet with Legend.

“He was just smiling the whole time at everyone,” Carlisle said. “He was really polite. You kind of see on stage, he’s also really goofy.”

She said she could see his face from her seat in the second row.

“It seemed like he always tried to make eye contact with the audience, which isn’t that easy to do when you’re playing the piano,” she said.

The atmosphere was one of sophomore Gabriel McHaffie’s favorite parts of the concert.

“I thought it was like he was playing in my living room,” McHaffie said. “Very intimate and personal.”