Blind Boys of Alabama at Bicentennial Park, Columbus, Ohio, June 5, 2026
The Blind Boys of Alabama brought a sense of (Stevie) Wonder with them to Columbus, Ohio’s, Bicentennial Park, playing a variety of cuts from Songs in the Key of Life alongside a smattering of tracks in regular rotation in the Blind Boys’ sets.
The June 5 Celebration of Stevie Wonder gig kicked off the 2026 Scioto Mile Free Concert Series and the Blind Boys kicked that off with a rambunctious rendering of Key’s “Another Star.”
If there was one knock on this show, it was that the Wonder songs were slightly under-rehearsed, leading to a few uncharacteristic vocal lapses and harmonic miscues. Yet, the concert nevertheless did what all Blind Boys’ performances do, namely left their fans feeling better on the way out than on the way in.
Formed in 1939 and with a revolving door of membership ever since, the contemporary Blind Boys are centered around Ricky McKinnie, who joined the group in 1990 alongside co-founders Clarence Fountain, who died in 2018, and Jimmy Carter, who retired in 2023. The bandleader and onstage emcee addressed the crowd following the opener and said he was disturbed after watching television back at the hotel.
“We got some serious things going on in these United States,” he said before the band launched in to a couple of Blind Boys standards, beginning with the urgent sounds of “Praying Time.” This led to a funky rendering of “I Can See” that was so celebratory, it seemed McKinnie, Sterling Glass and J.W. Smith really could see.
Seven of the show’s 12 songs were In the Key of Life, including “Have a Talk with God,” which was tailored for the Blind Boys as much as their smart grey suits. “Village Ghetto Land” was set to synth strings and four-part harmony with the assistance of music director/guitarist/singer Joey Williams, the only sighted Blind Boy. The emphatic “Sir Duke,” meanwhile, overcome rough vocals owing to the Blind Boys’ emphatic dance moves and exuberance on the mic.
Between the covers were other Blind Boys standbys such as “Amazing Grace” set to the tune of “House of the Rising Sun” and “Heaven Help Us All,” a gospel plea written by Wonder (natch) for humanity to embrace its similarities. Backed by keyboards and rhythm section, the Blind Boys presented these songs exquisitely - they were flawless with a sense of in-the-moment joy not often seen on a concert stage.
Late in the 75-minute set, Glass took that joy into the audience with an assist from the band’s road manager. As he moved through the crowd, Glass sung, shook hands and danced with fans as he and his compatriots performed a fiery rendition of “I Wish.” When Glass returned to the stage, he removed his jacket, threw it to the ground and continued to dance on his own.
The singers, arms on one another’s shoulders, were guided on and off stage and returned to encore with a powerful version of Wonder’s Inversions track “Higher Ground,” replete with band introductions, solos and a special refrain:
We hope you had a happy, good time
We did.
Grade card: Blind Boys of Alabama at Bicentennial Park - 6/5/26 - A-
Setlist: “Another Star,” “Praying Time,” “I Can See,” “Have a Talk with God,” “Heaven Help Us All,” “Village Ghetto Land,” “Pastime Paradise,” “Amazing Grace,” “Sir Duke,” “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” “I Wish” E: “Higher Ground.”
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6/6/26