"We've been hearing about this festival a long time," Mavis Staples informed the Buskirk-Chumley Theater towards the opening of her set there on Thursday night. "And what took you so long? 'Cause we've been around a long time."
If Staples really was happy to finally be at the Buskirk, the feeling was mutual. Staples is one of the more established figures in American popular music to grace its stage in recent memory, earning that delegation after about 60 years in and out of the national spotlight.
Even if the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer were getting through performances these days like some of her still-somehow-presently-performing contemporaries (especially her ex, Bob Dylan), straining through hits in front of a sizeable base of unconditionally loving fans, she still likely could have sold out the Buskirk. Some in the audience may have bought their ticket based on the Staples name alone; they got an impressive performance as a bonus.
Many in the audience were well old enough to have seen Mavis Staples perform closer to her hey-day. While they might not have recognized everything they heard (the majority of her setlist came from her recent Grammy-winning solo album, You Are Not Alone), they probably found her vocal chord-challenging wail, emphatic arm movements, and overall effort much more familiar.
At times, Staples exhibited the warm positive energy of a compassionate grandmother. At other moments, she had the gusto and bite of the same grandmother when you misbehaved in her house - and going by that analogy, Mavis Staples' house is the United States of America.
Staples' first five songs kept it highly soulful and generally mellow: a gospel song, three of the best tracks from You Are Not Alone, and an especially affecting cover of The Band's "The Weight" (one of her massive catalogue's most popular covers).
After that, the concert's tempo pivoted sharply, kicking into a higher gear that not everyone knew she still had. Staples started to speak her mind between songs and verses with the rhythmic and poetic delivery of a preacher, as if to ensure that everyone in the room knew she was still as outspoken as ever. Direct examples:
Leading into the Staple Singers classic, "Freedom Highway,"
I'm still on that highway, and I'll be there until Dr. King's dream is realized.
And just before the Curtis Mayfield-penned "This Is My Country,"
This is my country but I'm not too proud right now. I'm seeing too many babies walking around with no shoes on their feet. And what's with all the people disrespecting our president, saying he's no resident?
And also,
Then there are people saying, 'We're going to take our country back.' Back to where? The '50's and '60's? Doesn't sound like no progress to me.
After a well-deserved breather, Staples reappeared for a two-song encore, closing with a roughly 15-minute, audience-inclusive version of "I'll Take You There," before reassuring everyone she'd be around a while and making her way off stage amid handshakes and blown kisses. Time will tell how long those pipes remain as strong as they were Thursday, but it sure felt like she's still got a few nation-defining moments to sing through ahead of her before she's done.
Complete setlist:
Wonderful Savior
Creep Along Moses
Wrote a Song For Everyone
The Weight
You Are Not Alone
Freedom Highway
Losing You
This Is My Country
Too Close / On My Way to Heaven
We're Gonna Make It
Jeff Turmes solo jam
Rick Holmstrom solo jam
I Belong to the Band
I'll Take You There
Post and photography by Steven Arroyo
