Friday night I went with two girlfriends to the House of Blues to see Who's Bad, the self-described "ultimate Michael Jackson tribute band." One of my girlfriends had seen them perform in New York City and told me if they ever came to Boston, I absolutely had to go.
The show started forty minutes late (super annoying) but once the band came out and started playing, the room became electric and pulsed with anticipation. Then Michael emerged. The performer channeling the King of Pop was so authentic it actually felt like you were watching the real Michael Jackson. The band opened with "Jam." Check out the lead singer's incredible likeness to MJ:
There were two singers who alternated playing Michael, and they were backed by a band comprised of a guitar player, bass player, drummer, saxophonist and trumpet player. All the band members danced and sang back up. It was awesome to see a band so involved with the performance.
The MJ impersonators wore outfits almost identical to those worn in the original music videos and they performed the choreography you've grown to love and idolize. The moonwalking, crotch grabbing and signature screams were dead on.
Who's Bad played every MJ tune you'd ever want to hear, everything from Jackson 5 classics to 80s number ones. Below, check out some videos I shot during the performance.
The Jackson 5 Medley:
Smooth Criminal (amazing dancing!):
Thriller (the band gets in on the dancing):
PYT:
The Way You Make Me Feel (in which he calls about 20 girls on stage to dance with him):
Beat It (easily one of the best performances of the night):
And an added bonus, they covered my favorite Beatles song, Come Together:
If you love Michael Jackson, keep your eyes and ears open for Who's Bad's next performance in your city. This was one of the most fun, high spirited, energized performances I have seen. Warning: you will be singing MJ tunes for 48 hours post-show.
