Seventy years later, and Johnny Mathis is still the “Voice of Romance.” Mathis took the Luhrs Center stage on Thursday, April 10 and danced the night away.
From the moment he walked onto the stage, Johnny Mathis, 89, was welcomed by cheering crowds and a standing ovation. He opened the show with “When I Fall in Love,” sharing the feeling of romance with “Morning of My Life” and “It’s Not for Me to Say.” The audience shouted praises between the crooner’s sets, to which he cheekily embraced and blew kisses to the onlookers.
“Let It Be Me” and “Gina” were crowd favorites, along with “Days of Wine and Roses.” Mathis also performed some of his more emotional tunes, including the iconic “Moon River” and a cover of The Beatles’ “Yesterday,” a personal favorite of mine.
In his career, Mathis has recorded 80 albums and received numerous accolades for his records. This includes three inductions into the Grammy Hall of Fame, for his songs “Misty,” “Chances Are” and “It’s Not For Me To Say,” all of which he performed on Thursday.
During Mathis’ intermission, Gary Mule Deer took the stage and roars of laughter followed. From country twang tracks to wisecracks galore, he brought the audience to life with his jokes about Jehovah’s Witnesses, drinking and driving, politics and everything in between. One joke specifically had the crowd giggling away: “Folgers Coffee: the best part of waking up is you just waking up! I’m a year older than Bugs Bunny and four years younger than Porky Pig. You all get it!” There’s a reason Clint Eastwood called him “the funniest man in America.”
Mule Deer closed off for Mathis’ return, who took back to the stage with a Latin twist. With the combination of colorful, flashing lights and an energetic orchestra joining him, he rocked the stage with “Mas, Que Nada!” Later in his second set, he welcomed Kerry Marx, guitarist, for an acoustic set. Mathis combined every fantastic part of his career into a jam-packed show, and closed it off with the magical “Let the Good Times Roll” and a long standing ovation. No one does it better than Johnny Mathis!
To learn more about Johnny Mathis or upcoming shows at the Luhrs Center, visit luhrscenter.com.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.