Lionel Richie Was Well Worth The Wait In Niagara Falls

Concert Review
Lionel Richie
Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
Outdoor Stage
Friday August 26, 2022
Review: Joseph Suto
Photos: Joseph Suto

It had been a long time since Lionel Richie last played the Buffalo, NY area. His appearance in 2000 at the arena was his last prior to his visit Friday to the outdoor stage at Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino. Despite a near ninety minute delay due to flight issues, Richie finally took the stage much to the delight of the very patient crowd who were kept preoccupied by having the Buffalo Bills pre-season game being shown on the massive screens on the sides of the stage.

Richie is a household name and one of the all-time great performers. You could not turn on the radio or MTV without hearing or seeing him in the 1980s. He has done it all with five chart topping singles, numerous platinum records and many honors and awards.

He took to the stage blazing to “Running With The Night” and proceeded to make people forget there even was a delay. He proceeded to play all the songs his fans have grown to love both solo as well as his previous band The Commodores. It was nothing but hit after hit with such classics as “Stuck On You”, “Three Times A Lady” and “Sail On” to name a few.

At 73 years old Richie’s stage presence looked as though it could be 1995. He still looks the same and shows no signs of slowing down in the least. It was a show for the ages with Seneca announcing that this concert set their all-time attendance record for any show they ever held in the 20 year history with an approximation of 7000 patrons. A little piece of trivia is that Lionel Richie played on the grounds of the casino once before when it was called the Niagara Falls Convention Center in 1977. He did this as a member of the Commodores before he left to start what has become a tremendous solo career. Let’s hope he comes back again very soon and that we will not have to wait another twenty plus years.