*The R&B Invitation Tour, which features Eric Benet, Musiq Soulchild, and Joe, is currently making its way through 25 cities across the country, and stopped at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, on March 22.
And of course, EURweb was in attendance.
Between the off-the-hook DJ, and the host MCLightfoot, a Bernie Mac like comedian from Atlanta, the evening rolled right along without gaps and pregnant pauses between artists; just ask Howard Hewitt and Bobby Brown, who both came out to lend their brotherly support.
I noticed there were quite a few tickets left with the concert fast approaching, so I was concerned that these talented artists would not have the audience befitting their worth.
Not to worry, because although the concert was not sold out, the center orchestra was nearly full, and the rest of the theater had a respectable showing.
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Eric Benet was up first, looking quite fine in a mauve suit and shirt, with a burgundy scarf, and a video of him playing behind him. We were treated to most of his hits. He performed, ‘Love Don’t Love Me,’ ’Chocolate Legs,’ ‘You’re the Only One,’ and ‘Sometimes I Cry.’
That high note he hit on, ‘Sometimes I Cry,’ was EVERYTHING! His background singer, Charity Davis, performed Tamia, Chante Moore, Faith Evans and Tamar Braxton’s parts of the duets he recorded with each of them.
Although I really liked ‘Spend My Life with You,’ she more than held her own on all the songs, and I think the ladies would be proud of the job she did.
Eric’s final song was ‘Georgie Porgie,’ and although he did not perform my favorite, ‘When You Think of Me,’ he put together a very cool and respectable opening set.
I had never seen him perform before and I was not disappointed.
Musiq Soulchild, decked in his customary jeans with a white t-shirt and Adidas, also had a video playing behind him to start his set.
He jumped right in, and so did the audience, with nonstop hit after hit.
Although they didn’t sound just like the records, he performed ‘TeachMe,’ ‘Girl Next Door,’ ‘143,’ ’Yes.’ ‘So Beautiful,’ ‘Just Friends,’ and ‘DontChange,’ When Musiq started to perform ‘Love,’ cells phones came out to record him.
His final song was, ‘B.U.D.D.Y.’ Although he had more audience singing than I would have liked, I enjoyed him the most, because he was so cool, his runs were on point, and he walked across the stage with swag for days, while he played to the crowd.
He was a whole vibe, LOL!
Joe was the headliner, and the only one who sounded exactly like his songs, probably because he was singing to a track…when he remembered to sing.
There were times he was feeling the music and vibing so much that he forgot to sing. Dressed in a soft pink suit and shirt and black shoes, he had smooth and sensual on lock, as he performed songs that were definitely for grown folks, starting with, ‘Don’t Wanna be a Player.’
He also performed. Case’s ‘Faded Picture,’ and ‘I’m Missing You,’ Keith Sweat’s, ‘Make it Last Forever,’ Gerald Levert’s, ‘Baby I’m Ready,’ and Guy’s ‘Piece Of My Love,’ since the audience was already singing it. Also on the menu were “If I Was Your Man,’ ‘What if a Woman,’ ‘Treat Her Like a Lady,’ ‘All the Things Your Man Won’t Do,’ ‘More and More,’ which seemed to be an audience favorite, until they screamed when he started to perform ‘The Love Scene.’
‘I Wanna Know” was the final song of Joe’s set, which was a strong song to end with, but the set ended so abruptly that it felt like there was more to come. People actually waited to see if he was coming back out. We got the message when the lights came on and the band was packing up. Although Joe was entertaining, it felt like he left us hanging.
The R&B Invitation Tour has several remaining stops and is worth checking out. Each performer gives you something different, which makes it a well-rounded concert. Upcoming tour stops include Greensboro, NC (April 4), Augusta , GA (April 5), Cleveland, OH (April 11), St Louis, MO (April 12), Buffalo, NY (April 18), Brooklyn NY (April 19), Louisville, KY (April 25), Atlanta GA (April 26), Chicago, IL (May 2), Detroit, MI (May 3), Greenville, SC (May 9), Charlotte, NC (May 10) and Baltimore, MD (May 11). Get your tickets today.
Marilyn Smith is a Los Angeles based writer/reviewer. Contact her via [email protected].
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