Shows: By Bobby Gerould - BasslineSpin editor. NOTE: I go to the shows to have a good time, and enjoy music. I do not take notes. I write my reviews based solely on my experience as a paying customer.
Goapele ...Yoshi's. Oakland, CA. June 16, 2006 ...I enjoyed Goapele's (short) 10 PM show Friday night at Yoshi's in Jack London Square, Oakland. Backed by a five piece band and one backup singer, Goapele eased through selections from her two albums to date. Her encore included covers of Rufus & Chaka Khan's "Tell Me Somethin Good", and Stevie Wonder's "As". ...The show opened with her band, The Heat, playing "Grazing in the Grass". ...I was impressed with the solo that the guitar player played during one particular early moment. Other highlights included Goaple's smile and the tunes "4 am", "Crushed Out", and "Change it All". ...Songs I recall being played were "Closer", "Love Me Right", "Romantic", "Too Much the Same", and a new song called "Chasing?" ...The show was short - just over an hour, at best, but for $25 it was still well worth the price. Overall I felt like the performance was good but lacking energy. Perhaps it was the fact that no-one (with the exception of a handful) danced in the dinner-theatre style setting. The small stage also limited mobility for the players. ...The venue was intimate and I hope to repeat trips to Yoshi's. Parking is easy - with the garage actually above the concert-hall.
Raphael Saadiq Sweet's Ballroom. Oakland, CA. January 28, 2006. …An energized crowd led to a fun night listening to Raphael Saadiq at the Historic Sweet's Ballroom. A video production crew was taping a DVD of the show, complete with a crane boom cam that swept just over the hair of the large turnout. A drizzle outside did not hamper the eager crowd who lined up down Broadway to get into the building. Teedra Moses was on stage by the time I got in the spot. I bought a will call ticket at the last minute and left Rocklin (outside of Sac) at about 7:00 Pm. I was in Oakland by 9:00 PM. Saadiq's show was virtually the same as the one I saw 24 hours earlier in Sacramento (see below). The exception was that this was a Saturday night in "Ray Ray's" hometown. There were three to four times as many people in Oakland than there was in Sacramento. The audience was also more in touch was Saadiq's music. Standing room was the only option in the Sweet's Ballroom. I really enjoyed the opening part of the show - seeing it for the second time. "Peace Pipe" is the first tune that follows a snippet of the Theme from Shaft. …A funny highlight happened between Moses and Saadiq's sets. A horrible DJ mixer was playing some tunes (Maze, Dennis Edwards, Etc…) when he dropped in Saturday Love by Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle. Damn near 70% of the people in the ballroom started singing along. It was all love. And funny to see grown men singing loudly in public. …Saadiq seemed to reach the collective masses most when he played "Pillow", "Lady", "Dance Tonight", and "Tick Tock". I really liked the spunk of the backing singer (#2 looking right to left). Saadiq is never is busy trying to perform choreographed steps. He lets his voice and guitar talk for him. …Well worth the $30 ticket price. I strongly encourage you to see the show if it comes to your area.
Raphael Saadiq - The Crest Theatre - Sacramento, CA. January 27, 2006. …Raphael Saadiq turned in another outstanding performance Friday night at "The Crest". The Sacramento landmark building opened in 1949 and was refurbished in 1995. It housed about 500 people who seemed to enjoy the Saadiq show after the warm up act Braun Fellinis. Raphael hit the stage to the Theme from Shaft expertly played by Saadiq's backing band; an eight piece unit with four additional female voices. It was evident from the jump that Rob Bacon - lead guitarist is one funky dude. The female backing singers - Saadiq referred to as the "Moist Towelettes" were fantastic. Their energy and skill added depth to the revue. The band ripped through a bunch of tunes, (Ain't that Peculiar - Marvin Gaye classic, Rifle Love, This One, Soul Sista, Kissing You) some in medley form, before reaching a peak with a portion of "Untitled (How Does it Feel?)". Keyboardist Charles (from USC) did his best imitation of D'Angelo. Saadiq made me smile with a live performance of "Tick Tock" from his debut solo LP - Instant Vintage. That song connects people to Saadiq I think because it shows vulnerability in an otherwise confident man. "Still Ray" was another highlight. Saadiq performed TTT songs, "Anniversary", "Baby Doll" "Born Not to Know" and "Little Walter" …"Express Yourself", a cover of the classic by Charles Wright was funky in that 'make-a-face' way. Other tunes I recall digging were "Ex-Girlfriend"; an old Tony! Toni! Tone'! album cut, "Pillow", "Lady", "Dance Tonight", "I Couldn't Keep it to Myself", "Everyday" and the encore "Get Involved". Saadiq made a joke about the current hip-hop hit "Laffy Taffy", saying that after several Hennessey's, "Laffy Taffy sounds good to me too." "Skyy - Can You Feel Me" opened up the encore. The opening chords with Raphael's bass playing over it was a memorable part of the show.
Goapele - Thursday afternoon. December 29, 2005. Dimple Records - Sacramento, CA. Charisma. Goapele has it. She also has a powerful voice that resonates with distinctive soul. Once you've heard her sing you can hear just a few bars of a song of hers and know immediately that that is Goapele. I knew this going into her brief FREE performance-to-track at Dimple Records in Sacramento Thursday afternoon. But seeing her live again reinforced everything I was already feeling about the beautiful lady from the Bay Area of California. After a quick welcome, she eased into "First Love", a ballad with a lyric that showcases her thoughtfulness and depth. Standing alone on a lofted stage, she followed with a remixed version of "Catch 22" from her first "Even Closer" album. Communicating with the mostly young audience, Goapele dressed in jeans and a black top, expressed her want to "change it all". An acapella version of "A Change is Gonna Come" highlighted the set; her power and sincerity shining through. She closed with her hit "Closer" which was fitting as she embarks on promotion of her second album which was released just two days ago. …After watching the 20 minute show I remarked to my wife Kim that I felt like Goapele touched every person in the room. That is rare, and that is special. …I was lucky enough to chat with her and get an autographed poster making the two hours I invested well worth the effort. I know a star when I see one. If you are not hip to Goapele - please do yourself a favor and catch her live or pick up the new CD.
Bilal - Thursday night, December 8, 2005. Harlow's - Sacramento, CA. ...As much as I try to stay positive about musicians I must admit to being bored, and tired during Bilal's live performance at Harlow's Thursday night in Sacramento. Bilal's wandering vocals wore me down over the course of the show which was a bit over an hour long after starting an hour and 40 minutes later than the posted 10:00 PM start time. Also - the Philadelphia native's catalog isn't exactly deep. His energy was fantastic, and he did gain my full attention during a performance of a new song from his forthcoming cd. It may have been titled "For Love" or something to that effect. "Fast Lane" was another good showing. …Bilal was backed by a four piece band and one female backing voice. The drummer had funky moments but also a couple of audible glitches. I was impressed by the keyboard player and guitarist. The crowd was very large - standing room only inside the small club. Most seemed to be enjoying themselves but noone was screaming for an encore after the final song which was his well known ballad "Soul Sista". The ticket at the door was $30.
Al Jarreau - Saturday night, September 13, 2003. "Sammy's Show Room" - Harrah's. Reno, NV. - ...Artistry is alive! Milwaukee Wisconsin's, Al Jarreau ripped the stage at Harrah's Reno in a one night stand. We saw the first of two shows, an outstanding performance by the legendary jazz vocalist with a seven piece band, including the outstanding Mark Simmons on drums.
With spunk, Jarreau worked the stage, bouncing from his own catalog of hits, "Trouble in Paradise", "After All" to standards such as "My Favorite Things", and "Take Five".
Watching the five-time Grammy winner express his voice as multiple instruments while ad-lib scatting is like glancing into the mind's stream of unconscious thoughts. You have no idea where he is heading. Music's equivalent to comedy's Robin Williams.
At one point, the late-bloomer, who's career didn't start until his first solo album in 1975, at age 35 , said, "the music on today's radio is crap. That's what it is." Later, Al said something about having "spring fever, but it ain't even spring." He mimicked the bass, violins, drums, and even did some "scratching" with his famous pipes.
He thanked the audience which included children for coming out to watch real musicians apply their craft. Jarreau talked about the tough rehabilitation he went through after a painful back surgery, that included nerve damage. In a moving version of "Morning", Jarreau revealed that his songs and lyrics are "his little prayers".
A standing ovation led to an encore of "We're in this Love Together". Sammy's showroom was an intimate setting that is ideal for performing musicians. An analog mixing board was brought in at Jarreau's request.
Raphael Saadiq with special guests, Joi, and Tony Toni Tone, plus Jon B. - Saturday evening, August 23, 2003, Raddisson Grove - Sacramento, CA. - ...Maybe it was just me, but the Sacramento show for Raphael Saadiq was not as hyped as the San Francisco show I witnessed 48 hours earlier at Ruby Skye. And really, that's not such a bad thing. The bar was set pretty high in the City.
The 1,000 or so fans just didn't seem as hip to Saadiq's music as the Bay Area heads were. That makes sense too, since Oakland is where the former Raphael "Ray" Wiggins grew up. Saadiq still rocked it.
Once again, DJ Quik took to the stage for "Let's Get Down", the night's highlight, which included a hard rocking end complete with Quik popping champagne bottles and spraying the bubbly into the crowd. Raphael's improv skills were evident with a tweak of the "Get Involved" first verse, ..."Met this girl walkin' in Del Paso Heights".
The encore was different than the SF show, with Raphael performing "Doin' What I Can". ...Joi's set was highlighted by "Lich", from her Star Kitty's Revenge album. ...Jon B. was the first act. His set, and the warm-up DJ's set were marred by poor mixing.
On the brighter side, FM 102 personality, Davey D., was the emcee, and he was hilarious and enthusiastic. More concert promoters should provide a professional emcee like Davey to handle the mic. He set it off lovely.
The Tony Toni Tone portion of the concert, held outdoors on a warm evening, was excellent. "Still A Man", "Whatever You Want", and "Pillow" were all great.
Raphael Saadiq with special guests, Joi, and Tony Toni Tone, plus Jon B. - Thursday night, August 21, 2003, Ruby Skye, San Francisco, CA. - ...Raphael Saadiq gets it. Raphael Saadiq has "it". What is it? "It" is part integrity, part soul. "It" is Sly, silly, funky, and unafraid. "It" has self confidence that borders on cockiness but never loses its cool. There are many more variables to "it" but very few who understand it, and even fewer who possess "it".
On Thursday night, and into Friday morning Saadiq funked, and rocked his way through a nearly two hour set that featured songs mostly from but not limited to his Grammy nominated, Instant Vintage, LP, a BasslineSpin.com, release of the year in 2002. Flanked by a seven piece band, and three background singers, Raphael entertained a sold out house at the City's Ruby Skye nightclub.
With lightening in the sky outside, and unusual humidity for California, the room was funky in more ways than one. Booty's shakin', heads nodding, the folks at Ruby Skye enjoyed "Ray", Tony Toni Tone, and Joi. The building offered standing room on the floor, or an upper balcony. The floor was crowed with admirers of Saadiq, and the Tonies. They are after all, the Bay Area's own product.
"It" is hard to place a finger on but a Bay Area show is an experience itself. Perhaps because of the legends from the Bay that are known for giving nothing less than all their energy to their stage shows, the next generation of performers is compelled to carry on the tradition of the Larry Graham's, the Sly Stone's, the Santana's.
Raphael gives you that. He gives you the funk, and at the same time his down-home soulfulness smoothes out his vocal delivery. At times his show is wild, other times, it is just, well, Raphael. "Charlie Ray", the hilarious Western sounding story of how Raphael acquired his "soul", is a tune that seperates artists like Saadiq from jigged out record company phonies.
Saadiq commanded the stage. With a baseball cap backwards, the double earringed Oakland singer revealed his inspiration for "Get Involved". "Ya know, like James Brown, get into it, get involved", he said.
Jon B. was the prelude to Saadiq, after hip hop performances.
Saadiq was no doubt the star of the night but a cameo by DJ Quik was also a winner. I didn't catch any names for Saadiq's Gospeldelic Band members. I believe Rob Bacon was the guitarist though. The drummer was great, and the keyboards were top notch.
Some of the band members dressed in black suits, and deep red shirts, looked so young they could be in the youth band at church. No matter though, the music was funky all night. The musical director wears a drum major uniform with "Gospeldelic" written on the chest. He also rocked the Tuba solo on "Still Ray", another song that is signature Saadiq despite being a musical cover of "Still Dre" by Dr. Dre.
Dwayne Wiggins, Raphael's brother, added his guitar brilliance during the few songs that the Tonies did together. "Whatever You Want", and "Pillow" were two of the highlights of the show. Wiggins' crisp guitar work is more soothing than edgy, making him a rarity in the lead guitar world. While others are trying to burn the house down with frenzied solo's and hard rocking riffs, Dwayne is playing old-school rhythm and blues guitar, and he is "in there", as I like to say. Guitar players that cool? Maybe George Benson.
On "Let's Get Down", a dressed in red, DJ Quik emerged to rip the microphone to the delight of his Northern California friends. The SO-Cal rapper, stayed late and partied long after the show ended. Onstage, during the encore, Quik also added a quick soliloquy about the virtues of "black pussy" that came straight from left field.
The Tonies also played, "Still A Man," "It Never Rains In Southern California," and "Anniversary".
Joi was funky. Her rock-n-roll set started slowly but won the crowd over quickly. Unbridled, Joi, is shocking to some, but indisputably funky.
Saadiq also touted his upcoming live album release. Raphael Saadiq: All Hits at the House of Blues will drop October 14, 2003. The only disappointment for me was purely selfish. Saadiq did not play "tick-tock" a favorite from Instant Vintage.
Jon B. was solid. I'm not a hater, but I've felt sometimes that Jon B. tries too hard to be soulful. His vocal runs find him searching for notes, and unless you're pitch is perfect, that can be difficult. It's simply a pet peeve of mine. A reason that I've never been a fan of Boyz II Men or any other group that can't spell. Anyway, Jon B. was good. He moved the crowd with two of his best ballads, "They Don't Know" and "Someone to Love", and displayed a refreshing humility on "R U Still Down?"
A track from a forthcoming 4th Jon B. album was very pleasing. It was an R&B song, mid-tempo with a great change. With two fellow dancers, and background singers, Jon B. moved from the front of the stage to behind his keyboard. While on the ivories, B. displayed his best talent. He added spice each time he sat down, playing pure soul.
Mint Condition
The Collection
(1991-1998)
10 Mint Condition songs you need in your life
