OUT 200--CONCERT-VIEWZ (DWELE AND DARIEN BROCKINGTON) MISSOURI HISTORY MUSUEM-MAY 31, 2007

HERRE ARE PICS FROM THE DWELE/DARIEN BROCKINGTON CONCERT AT THE MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM. (PICS BY MA'ATLOGYPRODUCTIONS)

PICS: DWELE At THE PIANO PERFORMING, WHAT HE DOES BEST.
DARIEN BROCKINGTON ALL ANIMATED AT THE CONCERT(HE HAS ONE HELL OF A BILAL-TYPE SCREAM THAT'S KILLA!).

The crowd at the concert with long views of the stage and their pics...

Jazz musician Lamar Harris performing with a tuba behind the concert....Darien Brockington's backup singer Dawn toe it up with her octaves!

One of the highlights of the show was when SYGU's Rashad got on stage doing an impromtu beat box.

Darien Brockington sharing a dance with Valaire Johnson

NEO-SOUL CAME ALIVE AT THE HISTORY MUSEUM

The two hour concert was held at the Missouri History Museum May 31 began with Darien Brockington 40 minute set as he performed songs from his latest CD, Somebody to Love. including "Don't say Goodbye," "Easier Said than Done," "All I Need is You" and the indy hit, "Come Around" (that can be heard on Lil' Brother's CD, Connected) He (whose stage appearance was more of a black Clark Kent than a neo soul artsist) also snuck in a few cover songs including Ciara's "Promise." and strangely enough,. EU's "Da Butt."

For a moment it took awhile for the crowd to warm up to Brockington (the cover tunes I'm sure were the set ups to get the crowd hyped) because he is , to be quite honest, relatively unknown to St. Louis audiences (When Brockington made a comment about his start being with the indy group Lil Brother only a few people repsonded to his comment). But he made it up with his true showmanship and animiated personality (and he has a hell of a high yelp !).

The highlight was when his background singer, Dawn, took the mic and showed off her low and high octaves to the point where Brockington had to fan her with his towel as a signal of her vocal prowess. Afterwrads, he quipped to the crowd, 'I told y'all you all were not ready."

A weird momnet occured when ethere was a male backup singer who was standing next todawn witha notebook and never sang! All he did was looked at the notebook (which I assume was with the set of songs for him to sing) and he looking as though this was his first day on the job! It was quite the sore thumb moment. But overall, Brockington put on an enlightening show along with the backup band which included St. Louis jazz cat Lamar Harris.

Dwele came out for the second set performing mostly songs from Some Kinda. His set was suprisongly shorter than Brockington's (espcially with Dwele being the more established artsist), but while on stage he didn't disapoint with his laid back style (He also told the crowd that his next album will be out in August which caused the crowd to erupt in fervored applause)) . He performed mostly behind the paino (He stood up on some songs at the mike which is rare for Dwele) songs like, "I think I love You," the crowd fave, "Interlude" and the cover song, "Joy and Pain." His finale was his lone hit, "Find A Way" from his first CD Subject which got the crowd groovin.

A highlight occurred when Rashad from SYGU volunteered (more like coerced from his colleagues) to come on tage to beat box after Dwele asked the crowd who could beat box and did a duet with Dwele on one of his songs.

It was definitely a great night for neo-soul!