Concert review: Christopher Cross and Columbus Symphony give familiar yet refreshing music

Christopher Cross is an unintentional torchbearer of yacht rock, the sentimental, adult-contemporary pop of the late 1970s and early 1980s that’s as polarizing as it is identifiable.

But live, if you listen carefully, Cross shows his true character: a skilled, Texas-born singer-songwriter whose mellow approach masks deep contemplation, dark secrets of the soul, and yes, a little bit of chaos.

Add to that a full orchestra, and you get a concert full of big feelings. And that’s exactly what the Columbus Symphony and Cross delivered Saturday night at a packed Columbus Commons.

This tour marks the 40th anniversary of Cross’s eponymous first album and almost instantaneous rise to stardom. (The album was released in 1980, but COVID-19 prevented the tour until now.)

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It’s fair to assume that most Americans in the 50-and-up crowd remember that iconic album, which dominated at the 1981 Grammy Awards. Cross swept the “big four” categories (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and New Artist of the Year), plus Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist. And they probably also remember singles from his second album, 1983’s Swept Away.

Not nearly as many people know that he's released 13 albums since those. He’s really never stopped doing what he does.

Now, at 71, and after overcoming a devastating case of COVID-19 and paralysis from Guillain-Barre syndrome, his falsetto is as pure as ever. On songs such as “Swept Away” and “Think of Laura,” he could have passed for 30 years old again.

And he looks the part of the modern-day singer-songwriter: dressed in black jeans and T-shirt, button-down shirt, and trucker hat, he could pass for an Americana artist of any current generation.

The 40th Anniversary Tour focuses heavily on the debut album, of course, with a handful of other hits tossed in. Opening with “Minstrel Gigolo,” and continuing through “Think We’re Gonna Make It,” “Never Be the Same,” and “Poor Shirley,” careful attention reveals his breadth of knowledge of jazz, country, and big band music.

What often goes unsaid is what a solid guitarist Cross is. His solo on the instrumental “Rainy Day in Vancouver” was especially captivating, as was his work on “Ride Like the Wind.”

The rest of the band is first-rate as well. 1980s pop music was so much about saxophone solos, and Andy Suzuki delivered them masterfully. Kevin Reveyrand’s bass playing on “I Really Don’t Know Anymore” was impeccable, and drummer Francis Arnaud pulled the group together with energy and precise technique. Many of the songs rely heavily on backup singers Marcia Ramirez, Stephcynie Curry, and Jewelee Peters, and they were a great base of support.

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Arranger Christopher Walden conducted the orchestra. For the first few numbers, Cross's microphone and the orchestra both seemed significantly underpowered, but that balance was resolved about halfway through the first set. In the second set, the orchestra really began to shine and provide support to the band.

Mention Christopher Cross to most people who know of him, and they’ll probably sing a line or two of “Sailing.” After all, it’s kind of the yacht-rock anthem. But, live, it becomes apparent that it’s much more than that. Jerry Leonide’s lovely piano introduction melted into a play of light on water, accompanied by tranquil violins and the familiar guitar arpeggios. The yearning for escape, and the reaching back for a time of innocence, suddenly went far beyond any cliche.

Then, there were the grittier moments. “Ride Like the Wind,” with its pulsing, reckless exhaustion, gained new character from the orchestral backdrop. And in the empty yet passionate “Hunger,” Cross achingly searched for his "opiate angel" over a haunting, lush swell of strings.

It wasn’t all storytelling, though. “Dreamers” and “Light the World,” both focusing on social justice, drew cheers from the audience.

But then, it was back to more hits such as “Arthur’s Theme,” which remains a perfectly-crafted, poignant pop song 40 years later, again strengthened with the addition of the orchestra. With this, and so many of the other songs, you might have found yourself watching Cross and his band, and simply smiling. It was familiar, and it was good.

“It's not far back to sanity,” the lyrics to “Sailing” say. And it’s true. If the wind is right‚ — or maybe if the evening is right — you can let your troubles slip away, as so many did Saturday night.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Christopher Cross and Columbus Symphony concert revitalizing