Stevie Wonder - BottleRock 2016

Festival Plan: None

---

Relevant Links:
Stevie Wonder at BottleRock 2016 (setlist.fm)
Stevie Wonder (Wikipedia.org)

---

Pre-Festival Thoughts:
Having only ever heard a couple of top hits, a lot of Stevie Wonder's music is a different style than I'm used to hearing and listening to a new sound for the first time tends to be a difficult task.

Excellent: Isn't She Lovely {3}; Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) {2}; Higher Ground {2}; Superstitious {2};
Above Average: As; Overjoyed;

Slightly Above Average: Ordinary Pain;
On the Fence: Joy Inside My Tears; Ebony Eyes; Easy Goin' Evening; Third Eye; Delilah;
Slightly Below Average: Black Man [While the subject matter was good, I wasn't sound of the song itself]; If It's Magic; All Day Sucker;
Below Average: Summer Soft; Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing; Saturn;

In the end, Stevie Wonder has a wide spread of songs and I'll definitely make an effort to see him perform some songs.

---

Setlist:
1) Did I Hear You Say You Love Me [SAA]
2) Master Blaster [OTF]
3) Higher Ground [E2]
4) Sir Duke [OTF]
5) I Wish [OTF] -- I thought this song sounded like "Wild Wild West" by Will Smith; as it turns out, Smith sampled "I Wish"
6) Saturn [SAA]
-- I consider heading out (8:50PM PT)

-- Stevie Wonder begins talking about a technique he learned from someone he was collaborating with. It involves slurping water.
7) Overjoyed [AA] -- during the song, he apparently messes up and quickly says, "I messed up," which is interesting because so many times I've heard the tip to just go on as most people will not have noticed a performance mistake; with that being said, I remember listening to a recording of Kanye West where he's performing Jesus Walks, stumbles, and then tells the audience he's gonna start it over for them
-- As I listen to "Overjoyed," I wonder if I should risk staying and seeing if he sings "Isn't She Lovely."
8) If You Really Love Me -- one of the backup singers has a solo

-- I'm not sure if it's a reference to "I Got The Feelin'" by James Brown, but Stevie Wonder leads into the next song by singing "Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby,... oh yeah, baby...":
9) Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) [E2]

---

Post-Festival Thoughts:
Today (20160602), when I looked at the full setlist, I was a tad bit sad to have missed "My Cherie Amour." However, listening to the song again, I wasn't particularly fond of it. Also, considering the comments I read about the traffic, I'm definitely glad I had left early (but that I stayed long enough to hear "Signed, Sealed, Delivered").

Excellent: Signed, Sealed, Delivered {2};
Above Average: My Cherie Amour; Higher Ground; Overjoyed;
Slightly Above Average: Master Blaster (Jammin'); Sir Duke; I Wish; Saturn;