An Evening with John Waite at the Fillmore Charlotte

Celebrating 40 Years of “Missing You” with a Legend

I think it would be fair to say that British rock singer John Waite has provided me with the soundtrack of my youth. As an elementary school girl, my room was adorned with posters of John and The Babys as I explored songs like “Isn’t It Time” on my tiny AM radio. By the 80s, I was a young teen and John was well into a successful solo career as I lamented over my first real breakup by playing “Missing You” several million times as I cried myself to sleep. There’s nothing quite like a 14-year-old girl’s emotional dramas. Then when I found myself meandering into adulthood and taking the plunge by getting married to my still-now husband, John serenaded us as a part of the supergroup Bad English to “When I See You Smile,” albeit a crappy wedding band version of the song. At every step of the way, John and his music were a part of my life. He is, however, one artist that I have never had the opportunity to see live. So when I heard that he was hitting the road to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Missing You,” I knew I had to see the show.

The setup for this show was an intimate one with seating at different levels of the venue instead of the typical general admission show. The stage was sparse with only the instruments and musicians with simple lighting. The focus was definitely on the music and the musicians performing on stage.

Kicking off the evening’s festivities was singer-songwriter Michelle Malone. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia Michelle is a staple of the roots music scene as well as an accomplished songwriter and guitarist. She is also a true road warrior, touring and playing out relentlessly for the last 30 years. Her set featured her and her guitarist Doug Kees as they ran through a short but solid set of songs. The quality of her vocals and tones of both her and Doug’s guitars reverberated throughout the venue and I’m positive that she won the hearts of many new fans in Charlotte.

After a short break, it was the moment we all were waiting for as John made his way onto the stage. For the first song, he went acoustic only himself with his guitar and one guitarist to accompany him, wowing the crowd with the Bad English hit “When I See You Smile.” What a way to start!

He then welcomed the rest of his world-class band to the stage for the remainder of the evening’s performance. The first thought I had was that John looked great. He may be 71 years old but he sure doesn’t look it. In fact, he looked amazing in a black suit jacket and matching pants. What’s even more impressive is how he sounds. His vocals are still in top form and the beauty of his voice carried across the venue with ease.

John had us rocking to classics by The Babys and taking us to musical church at the “Bluebird Cafe.” Throughout it all, Waite laughed and joked with the audience, regaling us with charming stories as he introduced songs. Of course, one of the biggest responses of the evening came with a wonderful live version of “Missing You” before John closed it out with a raucous performance of “Whole Lotta Love/Let Me Love You Baby” medley.

No matter what era of John’s music you love the most, his live show is a must-see for all. It’s not often that a legend comes to town, so be sure to check out the tour when it comes to a city near you.

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