Stevie Wonder Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart Tour
I was fortunately able to attend Stevie Wonder’s Detroit show during his 2024 tour, Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart. Stevie has long been a bucket list act whose work I’ve admired for most of my life, and someone who I never thought I’d get the chance to see, so it was a pretty monumental occasion to see this show. Stevie announced a brief run of dates this past fall pretty shortly before the tour began, and he wasn’t touring behind any new material save for a one off song called “Can We Heal Our Nation’s Broken Heart“ that seems like it could have been the impetus for the entire thing. Because of the quickly assembled tour, lack of new material aside from that very tellingly titled song, and general banter throughout the course of the evening, the tour seemed like something that Stevie felt compelled to throw together because he wanted to do something that would bring people joy (the way that he brings joy best) in what he suggested is a time where we’ve never been so divided culturally, politically, socially, etc. (he clearly doesn’t need the money). I never look at setlists beforehand, and aside from the several omnipresent hits that I assumed he just always plays at his shows, I didn’t really know what to expect going into this other than that I would be witnessing one of the most revered figures in the history of pop music. The show was easily among the best shows that I’ve ever seen, and transcended all the hype that I’ve heard about him as a live performer throughout the last several years with ease.
It was nothing short of remarkable to hear and see just how well Stevie could still sing and play piano at 74 years old. Outside of a few high notes just barely out of his reach, he more or less sounded exactly as agile and versatile as he does on his records, and he nailed each and every cadence. Stevie was naturally set up front and center of the stage, surrounded by a vast array of different keyboards and synths, and 2 or 3 different mics. His charisma shined through every moment of the show, whether it was his delight in introducing various songs or bandmates, or in his unrelenting optimism in spite of his concerns over our nation’s political divide, which was brought up repeatedly. At a view different moments throughout the show there were some technical difficulties that led to the occasional ripple of blistering feedback (hopefully inspiring some of the more open-minded and curious attendees to explore noise music afterwards), but Stevie was good-natured and humble throughout it all. One of the best moments of spontaneity happened right after the first instance of the feedback was resolved, shortly after telling the audience that they were “going to work it out” leading to an impromptu, but excellent performance of Stevie’s cover of The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out”. Stevie’s energy was infectious, and it elevated a set of what could have perhaps felt a little over labored in another band of that size and caliber’s hands into the sort of joyous celebration that speaks to the magnetic immediacy of his strongest records.
The band that performed alongside Stevie Wonder had to have been the most elaborate group of musicians I’ve ever seen on a stage in any context. Between the multiple drummers/percussionists, guitarist, bassist, gospel choir, string section, brass ensemble, and additional keyboardist/synth players (some of whom left and returned to the stage for specific cuts) there were over 50 people in addition to Stevie at various points of the show. Now, with that many elements to mix at a venue like Little Caesar’s Arena it would seem like a given that the mixing was atrocious, but the sound was surprisingly crisp. Naturally, Stevie’s vocals and keys dominated, and I would’ve appreciated a little more juice in the low-end, but I was very pleasantly surprised with how clear the sound generally came through. The band itself was unsurprisingly extremely tight, and they performed with the sort of skill and chemistry that suggests that they've individually and collectively studied the Stevie Wonder songbook (in addition to the broader Motown songbook) all their lives. The aforementioned “We Can Work It Out” detour is just the tip of the iceberg that showcased how intuitively they respond to one another, and how deeply they know this stuff. There were change-ups and interstitials that emerged spontaneously throughout the course of various songs to help break up the flow and keep things fresh without ever quite going off the rails. Although there were moments that felt a little too overstuffed or were played a little too straight for my preference, the band supporting Stevie generally did a tremendous job of doing justice to his staggering body of work.
As with every other date on this tour, this show began with Stevie’s recently released “Can We Heal Our Nation’s Broken Heart”. “Can We Heal Our Nation’s Broken Heart” is his first new song in 4 years, and its fusion of swaggering hip-hop grooves, lush harpsichord, and a gorgeous harmonica solo laid under Stevie’s tender pleas sound surprisingly contemporary without coming off like a cloying bid for relevance, and they bode extremely well for any future music from him (he teased that it would be on his upcoming LP that he’s prepping for next spring, which would make it his first new LP in 20 years). Stevie’s always been one to keep his ears to the ground for inspiration, and I for one am very open to a Stevie Wonder album that’s thoroughly informed by hip-hop. Aside from that new addition to his setlist, things seemed to have progressed like business as usual, with choice cuts like “As If You Read My Mind”, “Higher Ground” and “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” flowing alongside covers from The Beatles, Four Tops, and Jimmie Davis. After the first 12 songs, Stevie left the stage, and the band jammed out a few covers and then concluded with the classic fusion jam “Contusion” before Stevie returned to the stage for the final half. It’s hard to say to what degree the sound issues influenced this choice, but with the set time being what it was and Stevie’s collection of must plays being as substantial as it is, the last leg of the set sprawled into a greatest hits medley that succinctly and seamlessly ripped through choice sections of “Sir Duke”, “I Wish”, “Isn’t She Lovely”, “As”, “Superstition” and “Another Star” with immaculate precision.
As the first and almost certainly last time that I’ll see Stevie Wonder live, his Detroit show on the Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart tour was basically everything that I could’ve hoped for and more. With any act of his caliber there’s always songs I’ll want to hear that will never make it into the setlist, and there’s always part of me that would love for him to take bolder risks and get weird, if not downright alienating, with it, but that’s not how Stevie operates, and I could never reasonably fault him for continuing to play the kinds of shows that he wants to play with the staggering degree of excellence that he performs them. It’s going to be interesting to hear how the political-climate informed impetus for the tour and “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” end up informing any subsequent recording efforts, but regardless of whether that’s the last song he ever releases, and this is the last tour that he ever goes on, his legacy couldn’t possibly be any more secure. The overzealous sense of optimism and possibility that propel his records were in full force throughout that show, and there wasn’t a single performance that paled in comparison to its recorded version. To anyone with the means and opportunity to see Stevie perform live, I really can’t recommend it enough.