Paul Rodgers - Seneca Niagara Casino, Niagara Falls, NY - 07-22-2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011 at 1:19AM 
"Paul Rodgers - The Man Has Soul"
by Guitarist/Composer Alyn Syms
Photos by Joe Saccomanno
Niagara Falls, NY - Two words that epitomize the best singer in Rock, bar none - Paul Rodgers. Paul Rodgers personifies greatness in a singer. He has great stage presence, grace, poise and an incredible voice. His tonality and incredible power is unmatched, but he never overplays his talents, or comes off trying too hard. Contrary to the cliche' "If you've got it, flaunt it," I say, if you've really got it, there's no need to flaunt it. It's there for all to see, and in his case, hear. And he's got it man, big time. He is my favorite singer, and has been since he was in (the band) Free. Not only as a rock singer, but as a blues singer, and an R&B singer. This man has soul. Great soul singers like Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding were driving forces onstage, and would make their bands lose weight, just trying to keep up with them. I loved playing that kind of stuff because it was exciting, and it made you work. If you don't break a sweat playin', you ain't playin'. That's what Paul Rodgers was like onstage last night. High energy, excitement and great sounds.
I liked the way they started the show. In the dark, there was first a count off, a snare hit, and then the band breaks into "Can't Get Enough." Nice. I had a great time, as I had a great seat in the 6th row. Not only was I close to the stage, but I was also near one of the big video screens. Watching someone sing of that caliber is interesting, because it looks so easy to us, for him to do this. On the screen during close ups, I noticed veins in his neck that Bruce Lee would have envied. I'd seen this once before, in a documentary on the Temptations, showing lead singer, David Ruffin, working in the studio. Paul Rodgers was having fun, but was definitely working hard, as it reminded me of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and James Brown. And the way he handled the mike stand was cool, very R & B. He had it down to a science. Spinning it, throwing it into the air, and catching it on beat. And he did my favorite singer stance with a mike stand, holding it upside down. Highlights of the show were stellar performances of "Seagull," which was in a word, majestic. "Fire & Water," a favorite of mine from the Free days, powerful. "Burning Sky," dramatic. There was a nice intro by guitarist Howard Leese on the mandolin for "Feel Like Making Love," which gave a mystical quality to the Bad Company classic. His guitar work was effective, melodic and powerful where it needed to be. He also helped with crowd control, keeping the out-of-rhythm-women-dancing-needlessly at bay, so Paul Rodgers could do his job.
From a musician's perspective, it's not at all easy to make a song with a slow tempo work as a rock song, especially live. Those that are great, can. Whatever they played had a groove. Sam Cooke once said that if a melody is good enough, anyone can sing it, even a child. Judging from the audience sing along last night, his writing is highly successful on all counts. His band was solid, as they reminded me of Humble Pie. Everyone played well, and worked well together. Paul Rodgers deserves every accolade that can come his way. I'm glad to see him headlining as a solo artist. His past music is great, and I'm sure what lies ahead will also be great. If he had played for 5 hours, no one would have complained.
For more on Paul Rodgers, go to www.paulrodgers.com
Special Thanks to Tony Astran from Seneca Niagara Casino. Check out upcoming concert events at www.senecaniagaracasino.com
Thomas