Article and photos by:  Gary Flink

Port Chester, NY-  Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals brought their amazing musicianship to the Capitol Theatre on Saturday for the opening night of the world tour for their upcoming new album, Call It What It Is.

Dating back to 1993 and playing extensively together for 15 years, the Innocent Criminals – Leon Mobley (Percussion), Juan Nelson (bass), Oliver Charles (drums), Jason Yates (keyboard) and Michael Ward (guitar), have not toured together since 2008. Looking and sounding like dear old friends on stage, you would never know it from the way they performed on stage.

The table for the evening was enthusiastically set by Christopher Paul Stelling, alone on stage with just a guitar and stomp box, who captivated the audience by delivering a set list of heartfelt songs with fierce and intricate fingerpicking on a weathered, 1964 nylon string Gibson…scraped, artistically etched, partly held together with masking tape and with his initials self-carved in. The guitar looks more like a well-used canoe paddle than a fine musical instrument, but the sweet voice that resonates from it is extraordinary. His technique is intricate, complex and seemingly effortless.

At one point, as if summoning an inner acoustic-folk Hendrix, he even lifted his guitar up and over the back of his head while continuing to pick away at all six strings in amazing up-tempo rhythm. He was clearly appreciative and openly thankful to be warming the stage for Ben Harper…telling the audience he’s more used to playing venues like “Al’s Bar” than a stage as historic and storied as that of the Capitol Theatre’s. He certainly earned himself a following of new fans that likely never heard him before tonight’s show and he’ll deservedly earn many more by the time this tour is over.

Harper and the band took the stage at 9:15p and dove head first in to the high charged “Better Way” from the 2006 Both Sides of the Gun album, with Harper on lap steel and the Innocent Criminals in tight and fine form. The set list for the night, which included many of their classic and most well known tunes, and plenty of new songs from the upcoming album, ebbed and flowed through a kaleidoscope of tempos and musical influences…hard rock, reggae, R & B, gospel and stripped down acoustic were all on display. He moved from instrument to instrument throughout the night, showcasing his immense musical talents on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel and Weissenborn, and pouring his heart and soul vocally and emotionally into every note he sang.

His last song of the evening, “Where Could I Go,” originally recorded along with the Blind Boys of Alabama, was also the nights most moving. Stepping to the front of the stage, away from the mic and with no instrument in hand, he quieted the packed theatre with a simple wave of his hand. As the band dropped out, Harper sang to the silence of the packed house, mesmerizing and spiritual. He transcended back to gospel roots, emotion flowing and hanging on every lyric, bringing a moving end to a very special night.