Will Smith is back in the studio, and back on stage on the Strip. He’s also been on a tour of his very soul.
Smith shared his self-reflection during a powerhouse performance Thursday at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Smith returned to the Las Vegas for the first time in a decade on his tour supporting “Based On a True Story.”
This is Smith’s first album in 20 years. The famed co-star of “French Prince of Bel-Air” and Academy Awards disrupter has been motivated by real-life events.
Smith paused midshow to explain his songwriting muse, as his new release is based on seasons, like a television show. And the moment he said “Oscars” the crowd called out, “Oooooh.”
“Season 1 is coming up, and I’ve already recorded Season 2,” Smith said, referring to the album to be delivered in 14-song “episodes.” “The first season, these first records, are the records that I wrote directly after the Oscars. You know, I had a couple of really powerful years of soul-searching.”
The 56-year-old star of stage and screen further explained, “There was a Will Smith that was perfect. There was a Will Smith that was flawless. There was the image of everything I wanted to be, but there was like a reality of emotions and things that I pushed down and put away. I thought people couldn’t like me if they knew that I had sadness in there.”
Smith’s emotions reached a ruinous crescendo during the 2022 Academy Awards show, when he slapped Chris Rock on stage, later claiming Oscar for Best Actor for “King Richard.”
But we got a close-to-flawless show from Smith at House of Blues, appearing live in Las Vegas for the first time since he performed at the 2018 Latin Grammys at MGM Grand Garden. He also played the show in 2015, and also that summer jumped into former recording and TV partner DJ Jazzy Jeff’s performance at Palms Pool.
The off-stage, off-screen controversy has blurred the recording star’s undeniable talent. Wearing a T-shirt and black slacks (with some seriously oversized pockets), Smith crushed it from the start with “Bad Boys” and “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” a joyous sing-along. “Boom! Shake the Room,” “Miami,” “Men in Black,” the salty cover of “It’s Not Unusual” and a closing “Summertime” his classic with Jazzy Jeff, shut it down.
Smith also dialed it down for a touching tribute to the departed twin towers of his career, recording legend Quincy Jones and James Avery. Jones, executive producer of “Fresh Prince,” handpicked Smith for the show. Avery played Uncle Phil in the show. “James Avery was like a father figure to me. He was like a father figure to a generation. He set the standard for what a responsible man was supposed to be.”
That sentiment felt as if Smith was working out his issues in real time. The crowd was along for the therapeutic voyage, shouting support.
The show moved quickly and was short and sweet, clocking at about 80 minutes, the crowd batting beach balls supplied by Smith’s team. The superstar had set the mood early, calling out, “The word for tonight is ‘Joy!’ We’ll leave our troubles outside!” The guy leading the party did exactly that.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
