http://www.ocregister.com/articles/hall-680185-oates-stage.html

It would be easy to dismiss the works of Daryl Hall and John Oates if you just heard the songs on the radio or watched the silly music videos.

A lesser band playing “Maneater” would look like wedding singers. (“Watch out boy, she’ll chew you up!”)

But Hall and Oates are master musicians. Soul singers. And their songs performed live take on a whole new dimension. Sure it’s danceable and bubble-gum fun. But this is serious music by serious musicians. Hence their entry in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

For about 90 minutes Sunday, Hall and Oates commanded the stage at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre and captivated a capacity audience.

With a band that can turn on a dime, Hall and Oates, wouldn’t you know, began with “Maneater.” Hall’s signature voice started the night with clear falsettos and pure power, though it became a little ragged toward the end and he dropped an octave here and there.

Oates’ whiskey-smooth background vocals were the perfect complement. Their voices mix with a chemistry not always caught or appreciated on tape.

Which brings back a personal memory. I was writing a story with another reporter, who thought I was hogging the keyboard. “Hey,” he said. “I ain’t no John Oates.”

When you see Hall and Oates live, it’s obvious how underappreciated Oates is. He helps anchor the stage, provides backbone to the harmonies and in the earlier songs, takes a commanding lead.

These guys are the closest thing around to the hit-making Righteous Brothers, evident in their beefed-up version of “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.” The night’s strongest offerings were those that equally featured Hall AND Oates, such as “Las Vegas Turnaround (The Stewardess Song), “She’s Gone,” and “Do What You Want, Be What You Are.”

They offered from-the-gut soul that dusted the sugar off of some of the candy, like the bouncy “You Make Make My Dreams” and “Out of Touch.”

It would seem that some of Hall’s street cred has come from his television series, “Live From Daryl’s House.” With a central crew of musicians, he invites rock ’n’ roll legends as well as youngbloods to jam with him. From the series, it becomes obvious fast that these aren’t your everyday session guys.

And in Irvine on Sunday, they were smoking: Charles DeChant on saxophone prowled the stage and provided the muscle for much of the band’s extended jams; Eliot Lewis on keyboards demonstrated his soaring background vocals, which have become a staple of the act, on television and on stage; and Shane Theriot played guitar with clean, simple leads aimed at supporting the song and not stoking his ego.

Obviously, Hall and Oates played the hits, and they have a lot of them, “Sara Smile,” “I Can’t Go for That,” and a raucous “Rich Girl.”

“Private Eyes” and especially “Kiss on My List” showcased harmonies and tough-to-do breaks that gave credibility to what could easily be schlock.

To me the mark of a good band is if I would wear the T-shirt. In this case, I would. Happily.

The opening act, Mayer Hawthorne, brought a funky groove to the stage. Although the world already has one Robin Thicke, Hawthorne did his job. He entertained an audience that had paid to see someone else. Judging from the applause, Hawthorne – wearing a suit with short pants – was successful. For me, I say, get some big boy pants.