Keith Sweat Rocks The Stage And Makes No Apology For His Hennessy
Fresh off the Legacy Tour, which included New Edition, Guy, and Tank, 61-year-old R&B legend Keith Sweat is still filling venues as a solo act. On July 8, the "I Want Her" singer-songwriter brought the house down at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington. With a career spanning over three decades, Sweat continues to prove why he is R&B royalty. "I still got it," he told the audience. "I sound the same and I look the same."
Sweat told no lies, he went through his epic hits, including opening with his 1990 song "Make You Sweat" and getting the crowd into a frenzy with 1987's "Make It Last Forever" and 1996's "Twisted." His ability to connect with the crowd was evident, as he frequently engaged in playful banter and encouraged audience participation. The ladies in the audience particularly loved it when he brought all the gyrations and reminisced on his young man days.
One of the highlights was when Sweat addressed viral videos that he is drunk on stage. Sweat denied the reports and clarified that you cannot dance and sing while drunk. However, he made no apologies for liking his drink. While sipping Hennessy, Sweat said it helps to "open" his throat, making the crowd laugh. He also sang an interlude with the lyrics, "My Hennessy, she treats me right." The crowd absolutely loved it and surely someone captured this moment on cam -- but let a grown man, get his drink on, just saying.
Nonetheless, Sweat matched every note from songs that are over 30 years old and reminded the audience of songs he wrote or co-wrote like 1988's "Just Got Paid" by Johnnie Kemp, and the No. 3 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Freak Me" by Silk. But the best moment of the evening was a tribute to his former R&B group, LSG, which included himself, Johnny Gill, and the late, great Gerald Levert, who passed away at 40 years old in 2009. He called Levert his brother and sang their No. 4 Billboard Hot 100 hit "My Body," released in 1997.
Keith Sweat closed the show with the No. 1 Billboard R&B hit "Nobody," which has had a resurgence on social media. It was a perfect closing for Sweat who has a distinctive voice that people know the minute they hear him and legendary swag that lights up the stage. There is nobody like Keith Sweat.