Servinemup is live on location outside the R. Kelly concert in Houston. The show is over and all of the concert goers are streaming outside to their vehicles. Let’s step in and get some feedback and see what people thought about the show…
Excuse me sir…how did you enjoy the concert?
Mane..I’m PISSED OFF!! I spent all this money on these tickets. Paid for my gal here to get her hair and nails done, bought her a new outfit WITH matching shoes. Fought through all this traffic to get here..and this n’ga has the nerve to only be on stage for 1 hour and 15 minutes??!! Hell, that freak tape they got out that’s supposed to be him is longer than that!!
Ma’am..do you feel the same way?
Yeah..he wasn’t on stage long enough if you ask me. But that’s not what I’m pissed off about the most though.
What has you the most upset?
He didn’t even sing ‘Bump N’ Grind’!!
What about the performance?
Oh, he gives a good show, it just wasn’t long enough . R is still my boy though, he can turn on my ignition any day!!
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Music lovers all over the world cherish the euphoric heights that can only be reached by listening to music performed live by a band or vocalist. Whether the love is for the horns, strings, percussion or just a rich strong voice, the energy generated by live music is unrivaled. Elite entertainers have a full array of musical talents as well as the ability to captivate a crowd with their choreographed steps. True music lovers are wooed by the audio component, with the visual aspect only serving as an added benefit. Like most natives of the Southern Bible Belt, my first taste of live music was in church. A good gospel choir can lift the spirit and cause a body to move. Add in instruments like a piano and/or organ to complement the voices, and the atmosphere becomes more charged and electric. Of all the wonderful choirs that I have had a chance to hear live, my personal favorite is still the youth choir at the intimate Baptist church that I grew up in. The youth choir was composed of all pre-teens and teenagers. The youth choir director was also one of the leaders of the neighborhood high school marching band. Listening to this choir perform the song ‘No Greater Love’ always warmed my heart and made me really get IN to the music and its message.
Jesus went, to Calvary, to save a wretch, like you and me, that’s love,
They hung Him high, they stretched Him wide, He hung His head, for me He died, that’s love
The whole choir would always enact each station of the cross with their outstretched arms and body. All the while, swaying from side to side in unison with the beat. It was always a glorious sight to behold. The best part was always that last refrain…when all the voices would join in to sing with the fullest amount of enthusiasm and volume.
But that’s not how, the story ends, 3 days later…HE ROSE AGAIN!!
By the time this part came around, the entire congregation was usually up on its feet. Clapping, singing along, some people would just raise their hands to the air and said ‘Thankya Jesus!’. Riding on this spiritual musical crest gives a whole new appreciation for the gift of song.
Church is not the only place that I’ve listened to a live performance and had my spirit lifted. There have been may musicians that I’ve heard perform live in concert that caused my music sense to tingle. The power of Rachelle Farrell’s voice has moved me to tears with open arms. The joys and pains of life enumerated at a Maze concert has made me stand up and dance the whole night. The smoothness of Luther Vandross crooning onstage has made me want to turn my house into a home. The controlled emotion of Phyllis Hyman has left me barely able to stand living all alone. There have been so many talented musicians and vocalists that have enriched my life through their songs. Whether the lyrics were right on point to something that I was going through in life or the music just hit that ‘note’ of rightness to my ear, I love live music. The energy of the crowd combined with the richness of hearing music not altered by recording devices brings a whole new level of appreciation.
My favorite venues to enjoy live music are those small and intimate ‘spots’. I’ve always enjoyed the close energy that is magnified in these places. Whether it’s a full band with backup singers or a lone soloist performing, the appreciation is the same. There’s some who are only interested in seeing the megastars at the mega venues, which is fine. But to truly feel the effort required of performing musicians, the tight dark clubs are the collective soul of music. Away from all the big lights, marquees and cameras, the true musician still performs. I encourage all to check out their local jazz clubs, R&B joints and churches that have live music. You’d be surprised how much fun you can have when you let yourself go and enjoy the moment of the music.
(Pictured above, Shirley Austin Reeves performing live in Point Blank, Texas)
