It was a marvelous night for a moondance Wednesday night, where legendary singer-songwriter Van Morrison and his daughter, Shana, took the stage for the first of two nights at the Fox Theater in Oakland.
The Belfast Cowboy is about to touch down on his 2018 World Tour, which kept him busy all year. Now he has just one show left before taking a (well-deserved) month-long break and picks things back up in Vegas for a five-night residency at The Colosseum at Caesar's Palace at the end of January.
Joined onstage by his six-piece band, Morrison put on a 90-minute set following his daughter's opening act, performing selections from his own vast catalogue as well as a few covers: Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "How Far From God," Barbara George's "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)," Lester Young's "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid" and Ray Charles' "I Believe to My Soul."
Morrison may be one of the most notable rock icons of all time, but his live shows have been pretty jazz-heavy as of late.
On Wednesday, the 73-year-old played an upbeat, jazzy rendition of "Have I Told You Lately" and balanced back and forth between the saxophone and vocals.
Check out this fan video of "Please Don't Go," "Cry Baby Cry" and "I Got My Mojo Working."
Embedded content is no longer available.
Fan favorites "Wild Nights" and "Brown Eyed Girl" punctuated the night, before Morrison closed out the show with "Into the Mystic."
Morrison's 40th studio album, The Prophet Speaks, is expected to come out December 7th. The upcoming 14-track record follows his recent albums Roll With the Punches, Versatile and You're Driving Me Crazy.
“It was important for me to get back to recording new music as well as doing some of the blues material that has inspired me from the beginning," he said in a press release.
"Writing songs and making music is what I do, and working with great musicians makes it all the more enjoyable.”
Van Morrison upcoming tour dates:
01/25 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace
01/26 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace
01/30 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace
02/01 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace
02/02 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace
