Lenny Kravitz

Andrew Olson

Lenny Kravitz burst into Minneapolis Wednesday night (May 4th) shining soulfully at the beautifully restored Historic State Theater. He proclaimed himself the "Minister Of Rock And Roll", which is also a catchy tune on his new album, BAPTISM. At the show he played through his numerous hits that have spanned two decades of rock and showed off his many talents.

In true form and celebrity, Lenny let it all out for the intimate audience assembled in his "church". He opened with "Minister", and on the down-beats the lights exploded with illuminate emphasis. At times Lenny almost seemed possessed by part James Brown, and part Otis Redding. When it came time for his hit, "Where Are We Runnin'", it’s trademark sixties sound and verve rocked in. Using distortion and some catchy phrasing like "Ooh-we-ooh-we-ooh" a simplicity came out in the song that was infectious. On stage he was dressed in all black with sunglasses on while his pants were almost Elvis circa 1972.

Lenny Kravitz first came onto the National music scene in 1989 with his debut album Let Love Rule. He tells of the experience in his bio "I think I spent a lot of time before "LET LOVE RULE" trying to be what I thought I should be. I was using this name, Romeo Blue, and I had this image of what I thought was right. But that's part of the road to finding yourself. You

put on these images and you try to be something you're not. It showed me what I wasn't, which was a good exercise. "LET LOVE RULE" was the time everything changed for me. All of the sudden, I had a purpose, a sound, a vibe and it came naturally through me. It was electrifying. So to come back to that point, to that purity, is a really profound moment for me and I think it shows up in this music." "LET LOVE RULE" was the third song Kravitz played Wednesday night, and from then on the entire ausdeince was on their feet. Lenny yelled out for people to fill the isles, and there was an energy from the diverse audience.

Kravitz was a New York boy growing up until his mother accepted the role of Helen on the TV show The Jefferson's in the 1970s. He moved to L.A. and hung around kids listening to Led Zeppelin and Hendrix. His change from New York R&B to California rock is present all over his music. From 1999 to 2002, Lenny Kravitz won an unheard of four consecutive Grammy Awards, setting a record. He also has the honor of being one of the most successful musicians in the award ceremony's history. His show was at capacity and seeing a legend at the top of his game having a concert outside of the immense Excel or Target Center is

a rare event these days.