Frances Griffey
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The auditorium was abuzz.
Looking at the crowd, it was difficult to spot who didn’t sport a bald head or graying locks. Old friends exchanged smiles, waves, hugs and “how are yous.” One man sitting next to me squinted at his iPhone while a woman in front of me dropped hers. Instinctively, I held my breath and waited to see the damage, but there was none — it was a flip phone. Another woman in her late 50s or 60s passed her phone off to a friend, saying, “Take a selfie!”
One thing became immediately clear: This was a show for the baby boomers.
Nonetheless, Roberta Flack shined at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center (PAC) Wednesday night, her voice still as soulful as it was more than 30 years ago. If anyone from the audience arrived unsure of what to expect from the jazzy vocalist who was popular back in the ’70s, they certainly left in awe.
Cal Poly Arts Director Steve Lerian came on stage and introduced Flack as one of his “favorite performers of all time” before the music began. At first, we heard her voice, but the singer was nowhere to be seen. Then, right before the opening song’s chorus, Roberta Flack was spotted walking across the stage with a little aid from one of her backup singers.
She may be in her 70s, but she’s still kickin’.
There was a round of applause as Flack took her seat at the piano and perched her fingers delicately on the keys. The entire stage was bathed in blue light except for Flack, who commanded the spotlight. An audience member yelled, “We love you, Roberta!” She responded by gazing at her crowd with the biggest, warmest smile.
After her second song, Flack shared some childhood stories. She reminisced about her North Carolina childhood, where there wasn’t much to do besides make and listen to music.
“On Saturdays, when our neighbors went out clubbing, (my family and I) were in our backyard having the best time,” she said.
At the start of each song, the audience erupted into applause of recognition. These people, who had grown up listening to Flack’s music, had an unspoken connection with her. The feeling of support was almost tangible.
After belting some of her classic tunes, Flack sang her own rendition of “Forever Young,” along with a few Beatles covers including “Here Comes the Sun” and “Dear Jude.” The covers appeared on her recent album, “Let It Be Roberta.”
In last week’s interview with Lerian, he said, “We often like to bring artists form other eras who still have great performance chops. It’s a nostalgic kind of thing for community audiences.” And Flack’s performance definitely flooded the audience with fond memories.
“‘First Time’ brings back memories. We sang it all the time,” Ed Zirvel, 76, said of him and his wife, Carolyn. “We married in the ’60s and have been listening to her albums since then.”
For Diana Pallari, 71, Flack’s music reminds her of when she and her husband were young.
“It brings back memories of more youthful times — romantic times,” Pallari said.
The performance was romantic for Marilyn Webb, 80, who’d celebrated her anniversary the day before.
“We remember her music from a long time ago,” she said. “It brings it all home.”
Flack’s jazzy vocals are her trademark, and her voice was easily recognizable and sounded just as good to the audience as it did when they heard it on the radio.
“I thought she did a marvelous job,” said Pallari. “I’ve seen other performers her age and was surprised by her strong voice.”
Many were impressed that her talent hadn’t faded away with age.
“It’s lovely that she’s still singing and sounding wonderful,” Webb said.
Flack’s final song, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” was met with a standing ovation.
I think it’s safe to say that Flack left her fans satisfied — and a bit nostalgic.