BOBBY MCFERRIN, Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Ogden, March 25

Bobby McFerrin (Photo Credit: Carol Friedman)

Bobby McFerrin’s concerts are sheer joy. The exuberance and enthusiasm he brings onstage are infectious. You just can’t help but feel good.

The 63-year-old vocalist/composer was in Utah recently. One of his stops on his current  Western tour was Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden, as part of Weber State University’s Cultural Affairs concert series.

The moment McFerrin stepped onto the stage the mood of the audience at the sold out concert changed noticeably. It was already upbeat, but with McFerrin’s presence it went up several notches. The 90 minute show was dynamic and the audience was mesmerized by McFerrin’s vocal pyrotechnics.

Called spirityouall, the title of his soon-to-be-released CD, the concert featured a few tracks from the album, including a cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released,” and the original songs “Woe,” and “25:15,” as well as a number of selections from earlier releases. McFerrin didn’t do his huge hit from the ’80s, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” but that didn’t matter – everyone in the audience left the show happy.

There was an intimate feeling to the concert in the way McFerrin interacted with the audience, at one point giving his microphone to a woman in the front row to sing the chorus of one of the songs. Later he asked if someone wanted to come onstage and sing something. A young girl whose name was Chloe took him up on it and surprised everyone by singing a few bars of McFerrin’s “Sweet in the Morning,” which McFerrin then went on to sing.

McFerrin was joined by his band: Gil Goldstein, piano and accordion (and McFerrin’s arranger); David Mansfield, violin, mandolin and guitars; Armand Hirsch, acoustic and electric guitars; Jeff Carney, acoustic bass; and Louis Cato, drums and bass ukulele. They matched the legendary entertainer in enthusiasm and spirit.

The 90 minutes went by too fast, but the memory of the concert will linger on for a long time.