Tag Archives: foreign exchange concert review

Something To Behold: Foreign Exchange In Concert

10 Tuesday Mar 2009

Posted by in Feeding The Music Jones

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It should go without saying that this is going down as one of the top live performances I attended this year. Ain’t nothing changed.

Correction.

Something did change with this stop through DC for Phonte and Nicolay. At last, we had all of the artists that blessed Leave It All Behind on stage. DC showed it’s appreciation with a sold out venue.

Darien Brockington, who I last feasted eyes on when he performed with Little Brother here in DC back in 2007, rejoined the tour to lend his smooth and soulful vocals (and dashing good looks – but we’re focusing on the music here!)

While it was all peaches and cream seeing DBrock perform with Foreign Exchange, I made sure to badger him after the show as to when we will see another full length effort from him.

Sir, it’s been more than a minute.

1,577, 846, give or take a few, to be exact.

He said he was in the studio working on it. I’ve heard that before! So he shall continue to get the side eye of death until we get something more concrete – like a single perhaps.

Anyway we kissed and made up and and cheesed it up for a nice photo.

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Couldn’t forget about Phontigallo aka Cat Daddy. He was in rare form as usual and looking quite suave and debonair in his Harlem Nights attire.

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Enough preliminaries.

Check out a few videos from the show. You know, after listening to this album for the fifty eleventh time that morning and then seeing this show, I think I will go ape-shit, literally, on the next person who dares to bump their gums and say any of the following:

“There’s too much sangin!”

“Phonte needs to rap more!”

“This album ain’t like Connected!”

Evolve people. Seriously. I simply don’t understand anyone who doesn’t get this album. You’re a stranger to me.

As always, I got the entire show for you over at my You Tube channel. I’ll post different songs from the last review. They performed all of my favorites (and yours I’m sure). So head over to the channel and check them out. Subscribe while you’re there. More goodies coming!

All Or Nothing

Darien Brockington shining on Come Around

Something To Behold

Covering the Rude Boys Written All Over Your Face

Enjoy responsibly and support whatever they come out with collectively and individually.

Top Ten Live Performances I’ve Attended In 2008

18 Thursday Dec 2008

Posted by in Best Of Lists

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It seems you all have enjoyed the first of my best of lists for 2008. We started out with the best songs and albums that you probably never heard to give you a break from some of these best of lists that are starting to look a bit like carbon copies of each other. This is definitely not a bad thing. Just proves that were a few albums that were indeed the creme de la creme – essential for any true music fan to have in their collections. I’ll be adding my two cents to that discussion very shortly.

Before we get there, since I am also a very amateur videographer and live for my  concert-going adventures,  I have to throw those into the countdown fray as well. By year’s end, I will have attended exactly thirty live performances by some of the best artists in the industry today. I’ve also supported up and coming underrated artists who are trying to make a name for themselves. For those just joining us, you can find video from all of these shows and more on my You Tube channel which has grown leaps and bounds this year.

In 2007,  I shared my top five shows. I look back at that post and smile because back then, I was averaging about one show a month. My how we’ve grown! So this year, there was absolutely no way I could limit it to five.

Reminisce with me for a minute.

(in no particular order)

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Maxwell, Landmark Theatre in Richmond, VA  11/08

My my my my.

Maxie, don’t do me dirty now. You turned on the oven now you better be cooking something over there! I look forward to round two in 2009. In which time I should also have an album that I can cradle close to my bosom and play until my ears bleed.

Read my review of the Maxwell show and watch live video I captured of the performance. The review and videos ended up on several Maxwell fan forums and websites including The Latest Maxwell News, all Maxwell, all the time. Such serious stanneration  dedication. Gotta love it!

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Jill Scott, The Roots, Chuck Brown and Estelle, Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia , MD 8/08

Even if I wanted to forget about this summer superfest, Jill fans won’t let me. I get several comments a week on the videos I captured from this show. This was my second time seeing Jill in 2008. The first was at home in Philly and that show was then aired in a television special. Raheem Devaughn and Musiq were on that bill. I was iffy about going again since I had plunked down a nice piece of change and traveled a couple of hours at that. I had also seen The Roots several times this summer already. I am so very glad I went ahead and spent my grocery money on a ticket to this show. Those PB&J sammiches I had to eat for the rest of the month were SO worth it.

Read my brief review of the Jill Scott, Estelle, The Roots and Chuck Brown show  and watch live video of the performances on my You Tube channel.

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Foreign Exchange, Black Cat in Washington, DC 11/08

You already know. Phontigallo (the man of the year) in his good clothes getting his serious croon on. Yazarah styling on everybody in the baddest solid gold dress I’ve ever seen. Her and Muhsinah (the woman of the year) flowing so melodically over Nicolay’s  (the producer of the year, RECOGNIZE) beats. There’s nothing better than youuuuuuuu indeed.

Read my review of the Foreign Exchange concert and watch live video of the performance.

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Rock The Bells, Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD  7/08

I think I may still be high from this show – literally and figuratively. Rock the Bells was probably one of the best shows of this magnitude and with this caliber of line up that I’ve ever been to. As I rode home that night (and almost crashed my car cause I had a contact high), I put on the CD sampler because I just couldn’t get enough. Me and h.e.r got a thang going on and I can’t wait to get some more in 2009.

Read my Rock the Bells concert review and view live videos of the performances.

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Legends of Hip Hop, Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore MD, 8/2008

Although I had a few critiques about this show, it made the list because of the lineup. Strictly for the thirty and over crowd. Just as I like it. It’s not often that you’ll see Mc Lyte, Chubb Rock (!!!), Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E Fresh, Rob Base, and Kool Moe Dee (!!!) on one stage. On a warm summer night by the water, I was throwing my hands up in the air and waving them like I just didn’t care. Real hip hop was definitely in the building.

Read my review of the Legends of Hip Hop Concert and watch the videos of the live performances.

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Raphael Saadiq, Black Cat in Washington DC, 9/08

This was the show where I probably should have just gone up on stage took the mic and sang because apparently I felt I knew Raphael’ssongs better than he did. At times, I’m all you hear on the videos! Not a good look but definitely a testament to my long standing love for him as part of the Tonys and as a solo artist. He has provided the blueprint for how the Motown sound should be done and his stage show was the perfect compliment.

Read my review of the Raphael Saadiq concert and watch live video of his performance.

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Amp Fiddler, Tortured Soul and Fertile Ground, 930 Club, Washington DC, 2/08

See that look on Christian of Tortured Soul’s face? It’s because of all that funk he created up in the 930 club back on that cold February night. I’ve seen many performances there but never have I seen the place turn into an all out party. I had to check to see if I was at a club. (I wasn’t or there wouldn’t have been any dancing. It’s DC). I left that show seriously considering following the tour bus up the road to NYC for their next gig. Turned out!

Read a very brief review of the Tortured Soul, Amp Fidder and Fertile Ground show and view my video of the performances on my You Tube channel.

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Q-Tip, 930 Club in Washington DC, 11/08

In which Vivrant Thang is still swooning over the fact that she met her muse and got to preview the hotness that is Renaissance. After seeing him with ATCQ this summer at Rock The Bells,  I couldn’t wait for him to get back to the area to give it to us live as only a true emcee can. I almost didn’t make it to this show and I would have hated myself the morning after if I hadn’t. There is nothing like the live versions of these songs.

Read about Vivrant Thang getting up with Q-Tip and watch live video of the performance.

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THE FIRST Annual Roots Picnic and Pre-Picnic Jam Session in Philly, 6/08

I was at the first annual Roots Picnic and I got the t-shirt to prove it. Heh. I think I am still scarred by how brutally hot it was out there that day. However, I hung in there because the energy and the performances were nothing short of amazing in spite of the heat. I’ll never forget how cool Binky Griptite of The Dap Kings looked out there in a suit. I don’t think I saw a bead of sweat roll down his face. I am so glad that The Roots will continue to put this on despite “retiring” from touring. I know that I will get a eclectic group of artists and make some new discoveries (like Santogold and Esperanza Spalding who both ended up on my best of 2008 lists).

Read my review of The Roots Picnic and watch live video of the performances.

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Can A Sista Rock A Mic?, Washington DC, 10/08

Look at that bad mamajama right there!

Yazarah performed on the third night of this multi-day festival showcasing the best in underrated female soul and hip hop artists. It was out of this year’s festival that my underrated female soul singers spotlights were born. I’ve profiled some of the performers including Jean Baylor, Tamara Wellons, and Liv Warfield. Stay tuned for more. I look forward to the talent this festival will bring to the area next year.

As you can see, it’s been a damn good year musically. Remember you can view live video from each of these performances over on the You Tube channel. Subscribe. There’s much more to come.

Have you been to any great shows this years? Share with me in the comments.

“Leave It All Behind”: Foreign Exchange Concert Review

19 Wednesday Nov 2008

Posted by in Let's Rock: Concert Reviews

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As I mentioned, after the election, I took a brief trip South that started out well and ended badly. Another longterm friendship is likely kaput but this one is a bit more complicated than the situation earlier this year. At some point I may blog about it. Suffice to say, I came back feeling very out of sorts. I definitely needed to take off the blues and leave some shit behind. Good thing I had two spectacular concerts lined up to make it all better.

You already know how Maxwell left me in a state of pure bliss. I was just as excited to see Foreign Exchange the next evening. I am a huge fan of Nicolay’s production and you already know how I feel about Phonte and and Yahzarah.

Leave It All Behind has been on constant rotation in the pod and is sure to make my top albums of the year list. I could not wait to see Phonte and Nicolay bring the album alive on stage. Then to hear that Yahzarah, Muhsinah and Zo (of Zo & Tigallo Love The 80s) would perform with them was music to my ears.

I’m sure you are still as worn out from reading the Maxwell review as I am from writing it. So I’m going to keep this one brief and let the music speak for itself!

I’ll just say that this was one of the best shows I’ve been to this year. The multi-talented (rapper, singer, and comedian) Phonte and underrated female soul singers Yazarah (longtime Foreign Exchange collaborator) and Muhsinah didn’t just sing over Nicolay’s beats. They performed and entertained almost all of the songs from the album.  I’ll just highlight my favorites here. The rest you can view over on my You Tube channel.

In between songs from Leave It All Behind and the first album, Connected, Phonte interacted with the crowd as only he can. He broke down for us the key to a successful relationship (which made me crush on him even harder – if possible) and shared the story of the day he met Stevie Wonder *swoon* and Stevie actually knew who he was! Can you imagine what that’s like for a real artist who is grinding his ass off and is not on the radio fourteen times an hour? Good stuff indeed!

So for those of you not yet subscribed to my channel, here is some video of my favorites.

House of Cards (Check out Phonte looking real dapper in his fedora. Too clean. Too pretty.)

Sweeter Than You (Yahzarah sounds so beautiful on this one)

I Wanna Know (Phonte’s relationship seminar is in session at the end of this one)

Nic’s Groove (from Connected)

Take Off The Blues (yes, I did!)

Daykeeper

Okay, obviously like Lays, I can’t have just one. The entire album is really a must-own for any lover of real music. They are just beginning to tour to promote the album with stops planned in North Carolina and Atlanta so far. This is one not to be missed when they come to a city near you. Don’t get left behind!