How sweet it was Thursday at the Warner Theatre: the Temptations, one of Motown's most hallowed bands, warming up a small but boisterous crowd of about 1,000 fans with an avalanche of hits.
Time can never diminish their sweet soul stylings, whether it's on romantic fare such as the eternal "My Girl," smokin' dance workouts like "I Can't Get Next to You," or sensitive, introspective ballads such as "Just My Imagination" and "I Wish It Would Rain."
Just Otis Williams -- and he never was a lead voice -- remains from the original Temptations but that hardly mattered. This group -- dressed in classy black suits, with red carnations -- not only had the Tempts' vintage dance moves, spins, and hand jive down pat but demonsrated considerable chemistry together, too. They smiled throughout, slapped each other on the shoulder. They also showcased their stunning vocal chops during a short a capella segment.
Temptations also interjected plenty of welcome humor into their concert -- kidding each other about charging champagne on credit cards, for instance. But the focus -- especially in a hit-jammed opening 20 minutes -- was on delivering the classics that fans wanted to hear. Backed by a 10-piece horn section, in addition to the usual keys/drums/bass and guitar, the Tempts delivered dynamic, bold arrangements. They didn't reinvent the songs, but they did re-energize them.
Ron Tyson, a Temptation since 1983, and former Spinners' singer G.C. Cameron handled most the lead vocals and acquitted themselves well. The ballads are hardest to conquer; the Tempts created masterful, nuanced, emotional fare that could stretch the upper register -- especially on "Imagination." Cameron especially shined on crowd favorite "My Girl."
Just a few major hits didn't surface -- notably "Cloud Nine" and "Runaway Child." And "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" could have been longer; the Tempts instead delivered a taut, compelling but abbrevitated version. Still, this was a satisfying, entertaining stroll through Motown, with the Tempts offering a bow to their own by opening with Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is" and closing with his superb "Can I Get a Witness."
Too bad they didn't get more witnesses for their highly enjoyable 90-minute set.