Hall and Oates and friends turn smirks into smiles

In the weeks leading up to Saturday night’s concert at the Everett Events Center, I saw many rolled eyes and heard more than a few snickers at the thought of a night with Michael McDonald and Hall and Oates.

And, I’ll admit, I shared in some of the mockery.

Who knew what to expect from the former Doobie Brother and the 1980s ultra-pop duo?

But I’ll say this now, for the record: If you weren’t at the Everett Events Center on Saturday, you missed a very good time – plain and simple.

The night was all about the love of music – soul music, in particular – as these one-time pop sensations mostly put egos aside and let the songs enjoy the attention.

The “Rock &Soul Revue” tour came to an end Saturday after 50 dates around the United States, and, rather than washed-up musicians trying to make a quick buck, they all genuinely seemed to enjoy themselves, and the nearly three-quarters-full crowd was on board for all of it.

They weren’t trying to force-feed new artistic visions and they weren’t trying to leave the past behind. Instead, they embraced it and celebrated music – their own creations and their personal favorites.

McDonald unleashed hit after hit for an hour – from Doobie Brothers classics including “It Keeps You Runnin’” and “Takin’ It to the Streets,” to his smash singles “Sweet Freedom,” “I Keep Forgettin’,” and “Yah Mo B There.”

He also gave a heavy dose of his most recent projects, a pair of albums he recorded for Motown.

McDonald lent his soulful, raspy voice to modern-day standards such as The Four Tops’ “Reach Out, I’ll Be There,” and Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

Then it was Daryl Hall and John Oates who kicked off their hour-long set with ’80s hits, “Out of Touch” and “Say it Isn’t So.”

Then, the inevitable moment came as Oates asked, “How’d you like to hear something off our new album?”

The standing crowd cheered, and sat down.

They didn’t stay in their seats for long, though, as the duo launched into “I’ll Be Around” by The Spinners.

The song is off of the pair’s new album, “Our Kind of Soul,” which comes out Tuesday. It features some new original songs sprinkled in with some of the group’s favorite soul recordings, including “Love (TKO),” which was written by Cecil Womack and Linda Womack and has been performed by Teddy Pendergrass and Bette Midler.

Hall and Oates treated fans to their biggest hits, including “She’s Gone,” “Sara Smile” and “I Can’t Go For That.”

Each featured a sort of jazzy soulfulness that wasn’t found on the original recording, which made their live rendition of “Maneater” a little troubling.

The crowd loved it, but it sounded exactly as it does on the radio and stood out as the only time all night when they seemed to force themselves to play a song because they knew they had to.

The duet finished with their version of The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling” before bringing McDonald and his band, and Average White Band, who opened the show, back on stage for 30 minutes that were over too soon.

The ensemble played off each other and the crowd for six songs that left fans truly wanting more. It looked like a jam session on stage – just a bunch of musicians having fun, whether there were 5,000 people watching, or just five.

They kicked it off with the Isley Brothers’ “Work to Do,” which Average White Band recorded on its “White Album,” and continued into Hall &Oates’ “Your Kiss is on My List” with McDonald taking over lead vocals.

Hall and McDonald teamed up to sing the Doobies’ “What a Fool Believes” and they closed the show with The Temptations’ “Since I Lost My Baby” and The O’Jays’ “Love Train.”

With that, the 19 musicians on stage took a well-deserved bow and left without a staged encore, no matter how much the crowd pleaded.

Even for skeptics in the crowd, any smirks that walked into the Everett Events Center were transformed into smiles by the time they walked out.

Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.