Stevie Wonder made magic Sunday night at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. The 74-year-old Motown legend — and, let’s face it, true national treasure — offered a memorable evening of classic songs, humor and abundant joy. It was one of 11 pre-Election Day concerts on an outing he’s calling “Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” with the stated goal of calling for “joy over anger, kindness over recrimination, peace over war.” While it was obvious who Wonder is voting for (even if he didn’t name names), it wasn’t an overtly political show. Rather, Wonder spoke of love and healing and change for the better — when he wasn’t cracking jokes, that is. He kept things loose and casual, to the point it felt like a residency show, not a one-off. He didn’t spare any expense in the production, either, with more than two dozen musicians joining him on stage, including a half dozen backup singers, three percussionists and both horn and string sections. Some of the finest moments of the show happened when everyone up there was playing together, creating a live wall of sound. “For Once in My Life” was one such moment, even though a coughing fit caused Wonder to stop it and start from the beginning. The first hour opened with Wonder’s brand new single, “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” and went on to include “Higher Ground,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” “My Cherie Amour” and “Overjoyed” as well as a cover of “You Are My Sunshine” (which Wonder prompted the crowd to sing) into his own “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.” Wonder took a break midway through to rest his voice, so his protege Sheléa came out to sing “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do),” “You’ve Got a Friend” and her own “Something’s Coming.” Then his backup singers led the entire stage through a rousing cover of Prince’s “1999.” (Early on, Wonder said “I miss Prince so very much. I’m feeling his energy here with me.”) Speaking of Prince, the last time Wonder played in the metro was during the four-plus hour tribute to the Purple One in 2016. A year prior, Wonder played his masterpiece “Songs in the Key of Life” in full. And prior to that, Wonder hadn’t played Minnesota since 1986. Wonder has never been into heavy touring, which may explain how his voice remains so expressive and supple. His renditions of “Living for the City,” “Sir Duke” and “I Wish” made a magical night even more so. Long live Stevie Wonder. Related Articles Music and Concerts | Another Beyoncé vs. Taylor Swift showdown looms at the 2025 Grammys Music and Concerts | Concert review: Confident, carefree Maggie Rogers enchants Target Center Music and Concerts | Concert review: Trampled by Turtles sounded huge at Xcel Energy Center Music and Concerts | Kelsea Ballerini, Parker McCollum and Tyler, the Creator book 2025 shows at metro arenas Music and Concerts | The new ‘Purple Rain’ musical has been pushed back to the fall of 2025