I don't mind admitting that I was late to D'Angelo. Obviously I'd heard Brown Sugar and Lady but I didn't actually get to album listening levels until maybe 2012? But when I knew, I knew.
D'Angelo is just sex. Every song has an unavoidable eroticism. When I listen to Lady it makes me think of lazy mornings in the summer with pillow talk and orange juice. Unassuming, relaxed, happy.
Black Messiah is a different kind of drop. The jazzy instrumentation you'd expect is still there but with a bit more of an edge. To me Black Messiah is less of a seduction and more an expression of frustration - which was mirrored in his live gig.
Of course the vocal was flawless, we'd expect nothing less but the bass - jheeeeez. From the first song the entire place vibrated with this deep bass that seemed to ripple through the audience and promise an unexpected experience
A solid rock backbone ran throughout, with the performance feeling like three chapters. The beginning that smacked you hard with the new tracks, then a bit of a breakdown into old school classics before moving onto the finale which I guess was a mix of both. Each chapter was reflected in the outfit changes.
Black leather and an electric guitar started the show before moving into a checkered poncho (?) for some 'salsa tones' before returning in a black vest. Has he still got it? Maybe not in the way he used to but the guy looks good for his age! You can't knock that. My buddy was all 'Noooo, he got fat....' No he didn't, he got older. And he's still working it... Though to be fair when he started grinding against the mic stand I think everyone looked away in uncomfortable embarrassment.
Overall, it was wicked. Because I got to see D'Angelo. In the flesh. And close my eyes and listen to his sweet nectar voice. Over excitement was captured in the abundance of videos that were snapped until I ran out of memory...doh. But I saved enough for Brown Sugar. Win.
Below are my shaky hand vibe catching vids. As many as could be taken before becoming that dickhead that spends the whole gig filming.
No comments:
Post a Comment