Saturday, June 20, 2009

An Evening of NeoSoul

Where do I start? I got to the Tabernacle about an hour before the concert was scheduled to begin. The venue was definitely smaller than I thought it would be. Standing against a pole, I scoped the place out and observed the people in the room. To say that "family" was in the building would be an understatement; we were well represented. The straight folks were in attendance as well. One couple stood right in front of me and just kissed (repeatedly) for no reason. It was cute.

Anthony David did a good job. I had no idea he was from Georgia. Despite not having followed his career, I recognized at least three of the songs he sang, including "Words," "I'm a Good Man," and "Georgia Girl." All of the musicians were on point, including the guitarist, who wore a pair of jeans that had HUGE pieces of material missing; I don't think he was wearing underwear.

Ledisi. That woman is no joke. Dressed in a canary yellow, knee-length, layered, spaghetti-strapped dress (I think I covered everything), she took to the stage and put in work. She is extremely energetic, even while wearing a pair of red high heels. Not believing the crowd was into the performance, she took of her shoes, ventured into the audience, and made folks dance. Of all of the folks in the house, those in the balcony were the least enthused; they just sat there and looked at her. Not one to waste time, she gave the stiff folks the "I ain't got time for you" look and kept it moving.

The woman has a beautiful voice. Additionally, she does not exert a lot of energy or strain to hit the appropriate notes. Unlike some singers, you won't see veins popping out of her neck and forehead. She also does a lot of improvisation and scatting. It was easy for me to see that she was heavily influenced by old-school R&B, gospel, and jazz. Oh, she also did a little preaching. Did y'all know that the song "I Think of You" is about God? I so didn't. However, the lyrics should have been a dead giveaway: Everywhere that I go, every day and every night. I think of you. You're the air that I breathe, you're the love of my life. I think of you."

After two wardrobe changes and a few more songs, it was time to go. I know she's going to be in Dallas next. If you're in the area, GO TO THE SHOW.

Speaking of neosoul, I finally discovered who sings this song I hear on the radio periodically. Enjoy.

"On the Ocean," by K'Jon

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you had a good time. I am not a fan of Ledisi, but I will admit mama can sing most people under a table.

I was looking all over the place for that K'Jon chune also. Initially, I thought it was Carl Thomas. The song had pasted itself in my brain because the radio station plays it ALL THE TIME. I thought it was recent, but it is relatively old. Nonetheless, it is a sickkkkk song.

John the Scribe said...

He does put me in the mindset of Carl Thomas. As far as the concert is concerned, it was very good. I can't wait for her next album to drop on 8-18-09.