Review: Lionel Richie Tour - Coming Home

Legendary recording artist Lionel Richie kicked off his “Coming Home” tour in Detroit, Michigan on Friday, October 27. And what a homecoming it was!

Lionel began his latest tour where his career began – in Motown. The tour is to promote his newest release titled Coming Home, which, according to an Island press release, is the first Top Ten album debut in Lionel’s solo career. He stayed true to his roots and wowed the audience with solo Lionel Richie hits and Commodores classics.

The diverse audience enjoyed the two singles he performed from his Coming Home CD, including the hit I Call It Love, but they exploded when the band played the classics, including Zoom, Lady, and Easy (Like Sunday Morning).

It was an intimate setting at Detroit’s historic Music Hall, which has a seating capacity of only 1,700. Lionel sold out the show and took full advantage of the proximity of his fans. He spent lots of time at his piano, crooning out favorites My Love, Truly, and Oh No, among others.

The show featured significant audience interaction. Lionel seemed to carry on conversations with each of us through his music, and encouraged us all to sing along. At one point, Lionel truly surprised the audience during the opening bars of Endless Love when he introduced Diana Ross. It was only a joke, and the crowd filled in for Diana during the classic love song.

If you wanted to dance, there was plenty of opportunity. Lionel and his band enjoyed grooving around stage and encouraged fans to get in the act as well, and they happily obliged. The balcony bounced during Dancin’ on the Ceiling and especially the one song everyone came to hear, the Commodores cult classic Brick House.

The musicians in his band are fantastic performers as well. And if you listed close enough, you heard them sneak in a few bars of Van Halen’s Jump during Lionel’s hit All Night Long.

Even though Lionel played a full two-and-a-half hours, the time flew by. Fans did not leave disappointed. In fact, fans left wondering when Lionel would be back in town!