Photographs: Sophie Harris

With a red rose in one hand and a bottle of what appeared to be Mountain Dew in the other, the Rev. Al Green made good on his promise of bringing love to B.B. King Blues Club & Grill on Friday (see 1 bold question). Women flocked to the front of the stage to receive a rose from Green with a hysteria that recalled Elvis doing his kissing rounds in Vegas. But what’s so crucial to Green’s appeal, particularly as a live performer, is that while the romance is turned to high and a sexual sizzle runs through damn near every song (yes, even now that he’s 63), there’s a real joy in Green’s performance, and humor, too. He laughs a lot, cracks jokes and even flicks his sweat out, like a kid in a bathtub. Click past the jump for our full review.

As a venue, B.B. King’s resembles a blues theme park, with its branded cocktails and curly fries, so singing a medley of soul classics (“My Girl,” etc.) could be a real cheese move—but Green has a way of singing that makes a song sound brand new, really squeezing out every drop of aching and yearning and sweetness. He’s also authored some of the greatest records ever cut. Friday’s set list included “Tired of Being Alone,” “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” and a gleeful, lusty “Here I Am (Come and Take Me).” Notable too was a rousing, “Lay It Down,” the title track of Green’s ?uestlove-produced latest album.

And yes, the nuance of “Let’s Stay Together” was somewhat stifled when a crowd of well-groomed, amorous young professionals rushed to the stage to dance, but bah—who’s gonna grumble in the presence of Green?

Credit also goes to Green’s band, an ensemble that includes his backing-singer daughters and a pair of enthusiastic male dancers. “We got too many songs and not enough time!” beamed Green. How true.

Here: Green performs “Jesus Is Waiting” on Soul Train, 1974.