Sunday night (10.26.2025) at the Akron Civic Theatre, Jon Batiste brought his Big Money tour to life with a performance that fused soulful musicality with an unmistakable love for authentic human connection. The former band leader from The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, seven-time GRAMMY winner, and co-composer of Pixar’s Soul, Batiste offered an ecstatic, genre-blurring journey — a celebration of music’s power to lift the human spirit and transform joy into something both tangible and lasting.
As the band eased into set-opening “Let God Lead,” the sound deepened with the pulse of a tuba. The full ensemble blends New Orleans soul with touches of R&B and rhythmic funk. Batiste appeared at the back of the theater, marching down the ramps and past all the fans that were waiting for him to take the stage. Jon, snaking through the audience with a tambourine in hand, clad in a bright yellow jacket and a wide, contagious smile, made his way through the aisles and to the stage. The audience joined in to close the song, their voices rising in joyful harmony with the band.
As the stage lighting pulsed in bright, rhythmic bursts and the drums thundered beneath it, the band launched into the soulful anthem “WE ARE.” Batiste urged us to shine our light and find the dance floor beneath our feet. Across the stage, a banner proclaimed: “This is the Circus of Love — under our tent, there is revival and joy.”
Tonight would prove to be more than a concert — it was an immersion into another dimension, a musical and spiritual journey that went beyond the stage.
Batiste showcased his piano mastery with his Beethoven mashup titled “5th Symphony in Congo Square,” a seamless fusion of the classical composer’s symphonic power peppered with a bit of playfulness, the soul of the blues, and the African and Caribbean rhythms rooted in New Orleans’ Congo Square.
Batiste also has a way with words. He believes that music is an allegory for how folks can find peace:
“I love you even if I don’t know you… We follow the spirit of the moment, and it happens together,” he said.
It was the perfect prelude to “LEAN ON MY LOVE,” and“It’s Alright (Why You Gotta)” performed with the sultry vocals of Andra Day (a Grammy, Golden Globe, and Family Emmy winner) and Batiste’s own soulful presence.
By now, the band and audience were fully engaged — clapping, jumping, and swaying in unison. As instructed, we found the dance floor beneath our feet and stepped into the tent of joy. During “American Requiem / Freedom,” we were all invited to the celebration.
Whether Jon was singing, playing guitar, or dancing, the space he created for us was electric — a soulful, joyful place to be indeed.
A trio of non-originals followed, beginning with Aretha Franklin’s “Never Loved A Man” and bookended by Sammy Kaye’s “Blueberry Hill,” sandwiching “When the Saints Go Marching In” in between.
The concert could have happily ended there, but this was just the warm-up to an incredible experience for our senses. We were now a part of the concert while they performed “Big Money,” “PETRICHOR,” “Cry,” and others.
The band was nothing short of incredible, giving their all from start to finish. Jon introduced each member of his team, and every musician brought their own spark of excitement to the show. Individually, they were exceptional — but together, they were literally unstoppable. Their bandleader not only showcased their talents but also gave them the space to truly shine.
Jon closed the show with the same intensity as it began. Something Team Cleverock had never seen before. The band lined up on stage, having switched to hand instruments. Bass and drums moved to cowbells, sousaphone, and fiddle, taking a prominent lead. Jon led them on his signature melodica. It had the makings of a traditional New Orleans-style parade. The band, now in single file formation, made its way up the aisle and through the hundreds of fans. They were still mic’ed up as they made their way to the back. Fans then started to file out, hoping for a glimpse of the band in the lobby. They continued performing all the way to the foyer. Almost everyone was still in the theater and had no idea where the band even went! Concerned concert goers made it outside the venue and beneath the marquee, and the distant sound of the band could be heard. They had continued out the front doors, weaving through the park and forming a line as the audience followed. As fans headed to their cars, you could see the band, celebrating as they made their final exit back into the theater and into the night.
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