Reviews: Santana, G-Eazy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tony Bennett & More

John Davisson – Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana weaves his magic at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 27.

This week, for your reading enjoyment, we have compiled critical reviews of live performances from Santana in Montreal; G-Eazy in New York; Lynyrd Skynyrd in Atlanta; Tony Bennett in Charlotte, N.C.; Little Big Town in Duluth, Minn.; and Four Tet in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Santana @ Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, March 21 – “There were, in essence, two careers being celebrated when Carlos Santana and band blasted through an explosive set at the Bell Centre Wednesday night. And both belonged to the same guy.” – Christinne Muschi / Montreal Gazette

G-Eazy @ Radio City Music Hall in New York, N.Y.; March 20 – “Unlike many rising young artists, his verses are spoken without melody and he relies on a rotating cast of guest vocalists to sing his hooks. But with the sound systems of most venues making it difficult to get one’s point across verbally, the emotional moments at Radio City came in the quieter interludes, when we could finally hear what he had to say.” – Frank Guan / Vulture

Lynyrd Skynyrd @ The Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, Ga., March 15 – “This fall, Lynyrd Skynyrd will say goodbye to Atlanta when their ‘Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour’ pulls into Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood. If the show is a fraction as robust as the band’s intimate performance at Buckhead Theatre, fans will have plenty of reason to hoist their beers and cheer.” – Melissa Ruggieri / AJC Music Scene

Tony Bennett @ Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte, N.C., March 15 – “Look, you tour into your 90s, and everyone’s going to view you through the lens of you being in your 90s. So the crowd’s going to chuckle when you talk your way through opening song lyrics that have become ironic, like ‘As I approach the prime of my life’ (from ‘This Is All I Ask’), or ‘The more I read the papers the less I comprehend’ (from ‘Our Love Is Here to Stay’).” – Théoden Janes / The Charlotte Observer

Evan Agostini / Invision / AP – Little Big Town
Little Big Town serenades the crowd during the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala honoring Fleetwood Mac at Radio City Music Hall in NYC Jan. 26.

Little Big Town @ AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn., March 16 – “After opening with a misguided Elton John cover and a handful of fun-loving but uninspired hits like ‘Pontoon’ and ‘Front Porch Thing,’ the band — Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet — found its footing on the small stage. The close quarters triggered the band charm and personality that can be developed only from 20 years of touring together.” – Mark Nicklawske / Duluth News Tribune

Four Tet @ National Sawdust in Brooklyn, N.Y., March 21 – “Dozens of wires containing hundreds and hundreds of small lights dangled from rigging about 25 feet above the floor, creating a forest of lights that flashed or pulsated with the music (primarily from his latest album New Energy, along with tracks from his last few outings), creating a dazzling and immersive effect that words fail to capture: The lights would glow and/or pulsate and change color gently at some points; create fast-moving walls of light that swept in sequence across the room at others; other times they’d shape-shift.” – Jem Aswad / Variety