Ingredients of smooth showmanship

After watching a good concert by longtime St. Louis artist Ralph Butler and his band last night, it occurred to me that there are three things any good band that performs mostly covers should do.  Butler and his band nailed all three aspects:

• Getting the crowd on its feet: Two of the band's strongest performances, of the Santana/Rob Thomas tune, "Smooth," and Jeffrey Osborne's "Stay With Me Tonight," got audience members of all ages dancing.  Butler sang with conviction, and the band echoed his commitment.
• Interacting with the audience without overdoing it: Butler did this several times throughout the night and was especially effective when singing to two young girls from the audience during Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World."
• Presenting a mix of slow, midtempo, and fast songs by various artists that appeal to a wide age range: I was especially glad to hear the quintet play Stevie Wonder's "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life," "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers, and Bruce Hornsby & The Range's "Every Little Kiss."  Each of those songs has held up over the decades and should appeal even to audience members who aren't immediately familiar with them.  Butler prefaced "Lovely Day" with "If there's anyone in the audience who knows this song and would like to sing it, we'd like to invite you to forget about it. No, really...If you want to sing, come on!" 

Another smooth move: Butler worked the names of the concert's sponsors and what they sell into the lyrics of Marc Cohn's "Walking In Memphis."  After seeing Butler and his musicians play twice at Station Plaza in Kirkwood over the last two years, I see why they've had such long careers.  When you have talent, a welcoming set list, and you acknowledge the audience, you've got the makings of a strong concert.