GBSTL RECAP: SID SRIRAM STIRS EMOTION AT ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL

No flurries would stop NYC from seeing the sweet, Indian R&B sounds of Sid Sriram. The soul singer serenaded the full house at Rockwood Music Hall this past weekend, and didn’t skimp on the emotion either.

GBSTL FAN RECAP: LAURA MVULA LIVE IN WILLIAMSBURG

Experts smexperts. Sometimes it's great to hear the perspective of a journalist on what happened at a show, but sometimes, as a fan of an artist, you want to hear from someone who just so happened to be in the audience! GBSTL has provided a fan review that does just that.


Laura Mvula is well known for her vocal aesthetics. On her debut album, Sing To The Moon, one can find majestic symphonies from a sonically and beautifully trained voice, and well orchestrated lyricism. She recently made two stops in NY, one being at the Music Hall of Willamsburg, and Reshma Sapre was there to take you into that special capsule of time. Check it out below.--GB

Reshma Sapre (@animalmatter)

Site: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/animalmatter

On the invitation of my good friend Milton, who I trust with musical suggestions, I decided to go see Laura Mvula at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. He had invited me to the show and after a quick visit to her website where I watched the video for “She.” I was all in.

The hall was packed and I realized I hadn’t been there in a while; it’s awfully clean for a rock venue.  The mostly urban crowd was layered in ‘fros, braids, and dreads filling the space corner to corner.

I shuffled to the front to find my friend and got there just in time.  Her band emerged first, including her sister Dionne on violin and James on cello. Then she emerged wearing an oversized greyish/army green Anorak with the hood over her head and white pumps which she revealed she had purchased from Top Shop.

Mvula sat herself by her keys humbled by the crowd and opened with “Like the Morning Dew,” harnessing something of Annie Lennox, Tori Amos and an old African griot.  When she called on the audience to be her back-up singers as she led the way through Bob Marley’s “One Love” the room spilled open with delighted raised voices.

Before treating us to “Flying Without You” she shared a story of unreturned teenage love and heart-break that led to this upbeat, richly layered, song about falling into pieces over a boy who didn’t love her back at 15. When she sang “Father, Father” I, like most of the audience was moved to tears. In the pin drop silence, you could feel everyone in the room; the energy charged with this powerful presence joining us from the stage. Deciding it was time to bring the room back up she broke into her stateside hit “Green Garden.”

Coming back onstage for what seemed like an unexpected encore, she sang her version of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” that her brother James Douglas had arranged.  He accompanied her on cello and the audience sang along.  It was a beautiful end to a brilliant show.  Plainly put, Laura Mvula took us to church, and that’s coming from a heathen.

THE VERDICT?

I didn't know what to expect when I went to the see the show, but what she delivered was really quite refreshing.  I loved the rapport she had with the audience, managing to personalize the performance with genuine humility, grace, and ease reminding me of the early MTV Unplugged days. The intimacy in which she shared the stories behind her songs and the clean storytelling in her lyrics combined with a voice that blows you away have made me a fan for life. I've read that other people rank her as a neo-soulstress, comparing her to Jill Scott, etc, but I think she's so much bigger. She's Annie Lennox, Björk, and Tori Amos big to me, and her songwriting ranks far beyond many who are writing right now.

Snap Snap! Here's a pic of Laura in action!

 

GBSTL RECAP: SOL VILLAGE BRINGS R&B TO NYC'S DOORSTEP

Have you heard the word? SOB’s is definitely the place to be, especially for their monthly installment of Sol Village, the crème de la crème of emerging R&B talent, hosted by recording artist Eric Roberson. Last night the world was at NYC's doorstep; it was a night of a celebration of all different types of R&B, from club hits, to ballads, to rocker Neo-Soul, to doo-wop. There to lead the celebration were Kay Tunes, Aaradhna, Algebra Blessett, and Eric Bellinger.

Roberson started off the show with his hit, “Change For Me,” before introducing Kay Tunes, the pint sized crooner from Virginia whose voice packs a punch. Kay showed off her hefty vocals with “Cried” off the EP The Story of An Emotion. Off that EP also came “It Ain’t Love,” before she transitioned that song with Jay-Z’s “Aint No Love,” and ended with an interesting cover—Andre 3000’s “Prototype.”

New Zealand bred Aaradhna followed, approaching each song with an unlimited source of inner diaphragm power. She didn’t just sing with her voice, but she spoke with her hands as well. Clarity ensued with every syllable, and the force of her emotions spilled over when she sang a rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Nothing Can Change This Love;” she followed with songs off her latest album Treble & Reverb: “Miss Lovely,” “I’m Not The Same,” and an uplifting “Wake Up.”

Algebra Blessett (from the ATL) then took the stage, adorned with a multitude of gold accessories. The sassy starlet has been out for a minute, raising her children, but now she’s back for another round. She started with songs from her upcoming untitled album, including “Nobody But You.” She still works with Kwame as her producer, but it’s a different sound. The new tunes were quite rockish in a way--exhibiting a heavy electric guitar and bass sonation, a bit of a deviation from her neo-soul roots. She ended with a tune off of her first album Purpose called “What Happened?”

Hailing from Los Angeles, Eric Bellinger brought it home, but not before bringing it to the club with his hit “Club Lights” off his mixtape Born II Sing Vol 3. He has that mainstream radio R&B/hip-hop sound, and has worked with Usher, Chris Brown, and Jhenè Aiko in the past. He also played some more crowd favorites off the tape, “ASAP” and “Say No,” before handing it over to Eric Roberson, who ended out the show with a tune. 

Last night, R&B was brought to NYC's doorstep, a constant reminder to how small the world really is. --GB

OTLC 21- SID SRIRAM

GBSTL Recap: Aloe Blacc, @ Metrotech Commons

The blaring tones of saxophones and trumpets, the strum of the electric guitar from all sides, bombarding sound; a soulful, raspy, adroit, aged voice; the crisp stinging of the holding of a note. It’s raw emotion at it’s finest. Sentiment, upliftment… church! A spiritual experience borne of social activism and political unrest. Loud. Full. A shame for those who only have the option of listening through headphones, for Beats by Dre nor Aviators can compete with this—this—live show. It’s heavy, and intense, with the background slap of a soul-harmonic; and it's all led by Aloe Blacc.

Aloe rang in the celebration of the last BAM Rhythm and Blues Festival act of the summer, and although he didn’t look like a seer when he entered the stage, Aloe, with his first note, started channeling the sound of predecessors Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, and Donny Hathaway, but for this generation. He starts off with “Politician” and ends the song with Stevie Wonder’s chords to “Living For The City.” 

Showing where he likes to hang in his off hours, he continues the show with a vibrant “Tonight, Downtown,” also touching the crowd with I'm Beautiful” and “You Make Me Smile,” elated by a young child front and center, dancing and waving his hands.

Bill Withers was the inspiration behind this next song.  In “Hey Brother,” Aloe croons about a woman doing a brother all types of wrong. On the same line of storytelling, he sings, “Miss Fortune,” about a man who “let his fortune become his "'misfortune.'"*

Crowd participation accompanies more well known singles “I Need A Dollar,” and “Loving You Is Killing Me;" but his long-held notes on “Cali Dreaming” straight penetrate the heart. After playing a lesser known but groovy tune about seizing the day ("Opportunity"), he ends with a slow rendition of Michael Jackson's “Billie Jean;” yet he couldn’t get through his set without dropping some knowledge on the kiddies.

“There’s better music than “to the window, to the wall!” Aloe wittingly shared. “This is a different kind of ‘Birthday Cake.’ This is the cake that lasts forever, good music.”

Clap to that. --GB

*Aloe also performed "Good Things," "Green Lights," and others during his set. 

Propers: Lucia Reed, Lucia Reed Photography

GBSTL RECAP: LUKE JAMES AND KEVIN COSSOM BRING SUMMER INTO SOB’s

 

GS

With all the heads tilting backwards, shrieking, and palpitations that went on at SOB’s last night, it’s a surprise Luke James and Kevin Cossom aren’t also known as “LL Cool J” and “Kevin Sweat.” Bringing the heat (and the ladies), the two proved that NYC was the place to get an early taste of summer’s perspiration.

Transporting the masses to the greatest of 90’s R&B was singer-songwriter Kevin Cossom. With onlookers like Danja and Keri Hilson watching, Kevin drew in the masses with “Waiting On You.” After “Latenight” he broke a sweat, and with the room giving full attention he sang “Motivated By The Body,” with a bridge of R. Kelly’s “Your Body’s Calling.” With “Anticipation” and “Overflow,” he ended with a banging track from his Hood vs. Bridge mixtape, “Make Love Thru The Speaker.”

The anticipated Luke James ran onto the stage next in black pants, suspenders and a white tee. ”Wassup?” was his simple greeting that elicited cheers from the masses. Addressing all of the highs and lows of the scale, Luke crooned a “Guilty Pleasure” with aggression, sans strain. He revealed, “If you don’t give me your number, I just might die,” crooning, “Call me a little weak, as long as you’re calling me” to forceful pivots and jerks, doing the music justice as the girls attempted to catch their breath. After a Mint Condition tribute of “Pretty Brown Eyes,” he then serenaded an audience member with a sultry “Let Me Love You Down (originally by Ready for the World).” As Luke trickled up to her, approaching her from the side and signing right in her ear, holding her hand, and slowly grabbing her neck, every girl in the room felt the wave of sensation.

“Soulja” showed off a determined Luke, who sang, “Your body is a battlefield/And I came here to fight.” He followed with a short homage to the late great Whitney Houston, where he denied his existence in the industry with out her, ending with “Where Did She Go (My Angel;)” the show-stopping “I Want You,” with his famous falsetto; and a new tune, “One Of a Kind.” The class act handed each lady in the front a rose before walking off the stage. Needless to say, everyone was left needing a pocket fan. Groundhog, quit your day job.

Luke James is currently on the BET "Music Matters" Tour with Estelle and Elle Varner. His latest mixtape, #Luke, is out now.

--Girl Blue (TR)

Propers: Genea Sampson

Girl Blue Recap: Carl Thomas and Friends Warm the SOB's Crowd

Anyone outside last night in NYC may have felt the chill. The temperatures dropped, but that didn’t stop SOB’s from keeping the venue sweltered with a sold-out show from Peter Hadar, Lauriana Mae, and Carl Thomas.

The packed house stood fast jamming with 98.7 KISS FM while sipping on cocktails and jamming to classics. Not long after the scheduled start time, Lil Nat from the station walked up to the stage to introduce the first performer, Peter Hadar.

He put on a short show citing some tech difficulties, but the audiences exhibited cheers for his soulful sound. Performing “Your Body” and contemplative “Purple Pills,” him and his background singer flexibly boogied to his tunes before giving the floor to the next act on the roster.


Lauriana Mae was up next. Wearing a navy pleated trim jacket, black sequined pants, a pearl bracelet with brooch, and diamond dangling earrings and headband, she bust out with “Money Mae” to head bops and side commentary (i.e. the girl standing beside exclaiming “I like this already!” 2 minutes in).

She crooned from the depths of her pain with “Love,” and slowed it down with "My Guy," uplifted with “Shine,” and ended with a “Like A Drum” that had her and the audience grooving it from side to side. After putting on a powerhouse performance, the audience was hype.

The charming Carl Thomas approached the stage soon after with his black suit, red handkerchief, and pearly whites and started off performing some oldies such as “Summer Rain.” Confiding to the audience, “I’m an Illinois boy but I became a man in NYC,” he offered the fans in his home away from home to “take it back before I take ya’ll up!” With “Make it Alright” he offered to right the wrongs of the last man, and he followed up by a convincing “Don’t Kiss Me.”


A few songs in, Carl was already full of sweat, as he performed songs from his latest release Conquer such as “Long Distance Love Affair” and “Round 2.” “My album is dedicated to the fans! This album is for you!” he exclaimed, following with “It Ain’t Fair” and the title track from Let’s Talk About It. He triumphantly closed with oldies but goodies “Emotional” and “I Wish.”

“That’s it for the hiatuses, is that alright?” Carl suggested, regarding his four year break from the biz. A question like that, you don’t even have to ask.

—GirlBlueSTL (TR).

SOLLLL RECAP: NIKKI JEAN, BRIDGET KELLY, CJ HILTON & MORE ROCK SOB'S

CJ Hilton with the camera action!

Sol Village at SOB’s on Wednesday night in NYC was completely and utterly unexpected. That’s what one gets when venturing out to find the next big thing in CMJ week. The trial and error of it all would force some not to bet at all. To, in complete angst of the situation, stay home and turn on the radio, and frolic to the ones that have already made a cut. That would be a sad mistake.

Backed by the band The Collective, veteran Eric Roberson hosted. Among crowd warmers such as singing an impromptu tune with random words picked out by the audience ("pineapple," "crackhead"…), and belting a lady’s digits so that concertgoers could text her, he was well received. 

First up was the colorful Yasinabdur. Wearing a neon ensemble, the artist brought in the positivity with “Fighting Love,” and “Angel.” Then, in “Cutthroat,” told the audience to “cut” their haters, or nix them with the hand motion that says “Ixnay.” The stage presence brought an new flavor, but the gear was a clincher.

 

Candice Anitra broke the mold with punk flavor packaged in a black lace dress. “Boy Crazy” was interesting to say the least, as Candice appeared slightly possessed, rolling her eyes into the back of her head as she sang. To top it off, she performed “Objectify Me,” a subjective song about being a fan of rough bedroom tactics; the title says it all.

When Lauriana Mae hit the stage, the audience was unsuspecting, but the slim and petite blonde-mane bombshell, in one foul swoop, smacked the entire audience with her first word. The sound is a throwback from the flapper era, mixed with a bit of 40’s/50’s groups like The Andrews Sisters. She performed songs including “My Guy” and another knocking boots tune, “Beat It,” before ending with “Shine.”

Bridget Kelly made Roc Nation proud (the fam was in attendance indeed). She performed songs off of her recently released EP, Every Girl. She fits the bill, with hard spitting lyricism that could interchange as a rap-- straight-forward, in your face, and concrete. After “In The Morning”, “Every Girl”, and after “Thinking About Forever,*" she sang the crowd favorite, “Seek and Destroy,” pointing to the audience, singing, “You better not f*** this up/ Or I’ma f*** you up!” 

Verse Simmonds brought the appeal with “Buy You A Round (Up and Down)”, crooning “If you’re a single lady let me buy you a round!” Then sang a soulful “Love No Glove”, with a Soul For Real bridge of “Candy Rain.” “Boo Thang” was his last diddy, before he gave the stage to Nikki Jean.

When she hit the stage she took off her boots, and pressed the keyboard pedals with her bare toes. Then she sang “I Only Have Eyes For You” and “Million Star Motel" sans Lupe and Black Thought. Audience participation ruled “La Di Da Di Da” with a folk sound (Slick Rick anyone?*), creating a cross between the local light hits station and throwback classics.

Last but not least CJ Hilton worked an intimate crowd to his advantage, coming down into the audience and having one on one with the ladies. After the break up song "Cold Summer," he asked “Would you leave me?” to each girl in the front…and each giggled fervently and shook her head like a bobble like, “You? Never!” He crooned on his knees with "Tonight" and ended with a “So Fresh” that showed an impressive headliner mentality. End with a bang.

--GIRLBLUESTL, (TR)

@Girlbluestl

*This has been a GB amendment.

Broadway In Bryant Park: Shows Now On GB's "To Do List"

Typically I’d write a third person account, but since Broadway is an extended genre for me to cover, I figure I’d give it to you straight. Last Thursday on the Bryant Park lawn, 106.7 Lite FM held their Thursday "Broadway in Bryant Park" show. And from what I saw, I ruled out which shows I would and would not go to see. What moved me?....

Death Takes a Holiday was first. They started off with “Shimmy Like They Do in Paree.” Mara Davi shimmied to her hearts content, and she was shimmying mad, but all I got from the song was that she did a good shimmy. “What Do You Do” and “More and More,” were operatic, and the opera kind of makes me yawn, but I liked the latter better. In the last two songs the actors hardly moved around, which I think they did because it was just about the music, but I would have liked to see some more action.

Jersey Boys about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, was next. They sang some hits from the past, like “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” When I say the soprano, Russel Fisher, can hit notes! He hits notes with a baseball bat. It sounds like it hurts. I can only wonder how much honey he puts in his tea every few hours. They also sang “Walk Like A Man,” “Who Loves You,” and “December 1963 (Oh, What A Night),” ending with much of the cast and some basic dance grooves. The music is familiar to me, and I’d see this show, but I may feel out of place with all of the elders! Way before my time. The previews don’t lie people.

Third was The Lion King. Now I have the soundtrack and picture book from the movie lying around somewhere and I know the whole “When he was a young warthog,” “When I was a young warthoooooggggg!” bit, but I’m just not sure that part is in the play. Selloane Nkhela sang "Circle of Life" so solidly! I felt something rise up within me when she sang it. She then sang “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” with Joel Karie. I’d see the play just for her, though I consider that play watching a repeat of the movie.

Rent was next. Annaleigh Ashford and Corbin Reid sang “Take Me or Leave Me” completely in acting mode and worked the stage (I just happen to expect theatrics because though it’s just songs, its, "songs from the 'the-a-tre,' darling"). Then they brought Marcus Paul James to the stage and while I am in like with his personality, it was someone’s bright idea to make him sing “Seasons of Love” all by himself and I was like, “Where are the people?” One from every section would be enough. One alto, One soprano, one tenor, one bass! Come on! Especially the part before the end, “Measure your life in loooveeeeeee,” the part I play back over and over again when the track is on spin-- he let the audience sing that part. What a void! I know they’d all be there if I saw the play though, so that gets a go.

Wicked, the most anticipated performance of the day, was last, and I have never seen it but have heard songs from it before. “Popular” with Katie Rose Clarke was really on point, and “As Long As Your Mine,” was ok, but Teal Wicks blew it out the water with “The Wizard and I.” Her performance was spic and span. So clean you could eat off it. I’d see this play, for sure.

All in all, I give Rent, Lion King and Wicked a go. Death takes a Holiday, I'll skip. And I'll take a few of my senior citizen friends to see Jersey Boys. Oh wait, I have none. Well, I guess that will have to wait.

THE END.

--Girl Blue (TR)

(Photo Credit: Monica Simoes, Joseph Marzullo/WENN)

Nicki Minaj on Good Morning America: GB Recap

Nicki Minaj brought her powerhouse personality to "Good Morning America" on ABC early this morning, and had a park venue filled with Nicki lovers to show for it. Cotton candy wigs and hot pink bobs floated on the heads of audience members as concert goers came early, some 8 hours, to see the flashy fox. The setting was Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, and the weather showed clear skies.

Nicki, showing up around 7:30 A.M. in a tight aqua green ensemble and blonde bob, repeatedly tested out the bridge to “Super Bass” with her back up singers and had an all out dance fest with the audience before showtime. The crowd saw Nicki dance “full out” and get wild pre-show, and fed off the energy.

Despite warnings to hold cell phones and signs down, the audience couldn’t contain their excitement as Nicki reappeared at showtime for her piece of “Where Them Girls At,” sans David Guetta. Since concert takeoff, she has changed her ensemble to printed leggings, a clear plastic skirt, a green bra, pink jacket, and an 80’s crimped blond do.

Robin Roberts interviewed her next. Asking Nicki, “You grew up in New York City. What does it mean to be here in Central Park?” The Pink Friday platinum star said she grew up and went to school here, and ended with a screw face saying, “I’m New York to the fullest!” Robin then flowed the convo saying, “Especially when you brought it right there, that’s when they knew!” and reached out for dap before Nicki said, “No! You have to do it like with [force]!” and they had a pseudo-hood exchange (lol!)

Nicki then performed “Superbass” and “Moment for Life.” Nicki attempted to end the show with that, signing off for the rents on TV at "Good Morning America," but moments before she departed the crowd started chanting “Roman! Roman!” and the rapper/songstress just had to step into one of her alter ego’s to perform her verse of “Romans Revenge” which started off clean but ended raw. Just how we like it!

Departing the stage with, “Pink Friday! Roman Reloaded!” Nicki bounced off and the show was caput. As an artist with loyal fans, though, most knew the setting will resume at the next Nicki Minaj performance, (IZOD tonight perhaps?), and then at the next show. Moment for life indeed.

--Girl Blue (TR)

(Video Credit- Rap-Up)

Chrisette Michelle Cools out NYC/ River To River

Yesterday in NYC was a picture perfect day by Rockefeller Park; the swelled sun ready to rest perfectly over the cool waters; the rustling trees over a tad bit of wind; Everyone listened to the directions of the songstress who performed when she tweeted “Look 4 the Statue of Liberty! Listen for the MUSIC!” It was Chrisette Michele, performing for free to hundreds of people for the River To River festival, celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year.

Chrisette started off performing hits such as “Be Ok,” “I’m a Star,” and “What You Do” donned in a blue and green floral print flowy dress, green studded arc earrings, those famous eyelashes, blue heels and pink lipstick. She then joked about her car as an into to “Aston Martin Music”, sans Ricky Rozay, wishing she had the car she sang about in the song. Fans in the audience moved around in their chairs and waved their hands in the air for that one.

“I had an epiphany! I’m gonna sing about it,” Chrisette chimed as the intro to “Epiphany.” With emphasis on every word, the pint sized singer opened her eyes wide at “How many times did I fall for your lies?” A short tribute to Erykah Badu followed with “On and On,” before “Goodbye Game” from her latest album “Let Freedom Reign.” “Best of Me” and “I Don’t Know Why But I Do” had the crowd feeling lovey-dovey, and Chrisette ended by dedicating the song to the “17 people that are still in love here today.”

“Golden” was a highlight of the night. With a jazzy upbeat twist, Chrisette vocalized smoothly, then gave the stage to her counterparts midway, asking her keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, back up singers, and drummer “What does Golden Love sound like?” The questioned then used their instruments to their hearts content. Her drummer, Habbert Cheeks III, stole the show, banging so fast and so hard like his life depended on it. Chrisette ended the song showing off her silly side, with sound effects, and even added in a few “moo’s.”

Chrisette took everyone to church, singing an earth shaking “Total Praise,” then ended with “Blame It On
Me” and “Fragile,” in which she invited everyone to get out of their seats and come to the stage. It was a cool out end to a cool out night.

--Girl Blue(TR)