BANGOR, Maine — You might think that the crowd gathered to see Daryl Hall and John Oates perform at the Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion mostly would comprise people in their 40s and 50s who were fans of the band at their peak commercial popularity in the 1980s.
You would be wrong, though. The audience at Thursday night’s show ranged from college-age fans to folks nearing retirement age, eager to hear the countless hits the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members have had over the years. “Kiss On My List.” “Maneater.” “Out of Touch.” “You Make My Dreams.” The list of radio hits from the duo that have remained popular to this day is quite long.
Rain threatened to fall throughout most of the show, though the skies did not actually open up until halfway through Hall and Oates’ set; a percentage of the audience left once the rain started, but a majority remained, singing along to hits like “Sara Smile” and “Rich Girl.” The last time Hall and Oates played in the city was, after all, way back in 1984, on the opening night of the band’s “Big Bam Boom” tour at the Bangor Auditorium.
Opening for Hall and Oates was an artist equally as entertaining: soul singer Sharon Jones and her band, the Dap-Kings. Jones’ story is an incredible one: After decades toiling in obscurity as a backup singer, and working as a prison guard at Rikers Island to pay the bills, Jones got her big break in the early 2000s after signing with New York funk/R&B label Daptone Records, later releasing her hit debut album, “Dap-Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings” at age 46. Jones, a consummate showwoman in the vein of James Brown and Tina Turner, has toured and recorded steadily ever since.
In 2013, Jones revealed she was diagnosed with bile duct cancer. Chemo treatments did not deter her from touring — in fact, Jones went through another round of chemo over the past few months, and has performed her dates on this tour with Hall & Oates dealing with the fallout from her treatment (a forthcoming documentary, “Miss Sharon Jones!” tells more of her story). During the concert, Jones spoke about her struggles, and told the audience that 15 minutes before the show started, she couldn’t walk from the pain. Somehow, though, the power of the music helped her to stand up, sing and dance.
The first act for the show was Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, who last performed in Bangor in 2013 — opening for the Avett Brothers, in a show that also experienced rain. Trombone Shorty (aka trombonist Troy Andrews) is a New Orleans musician who plays an amped-up blend of funk, rock and hip-hop.
The Hall and Oates show is the first in three Waterfront Concerts this week; Friday night will feature the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos and North Mississippi All-Stars, and Sunday night will offer country star Luke Bryan.
For more information on all Waterfront Concerts, visit waterfrontconcerts.com.
