Thus far 2016 is shaping up to be the “Summer of Soul” here in the Twin Cities.
Already, the area has seen concerts from The Foreign Exchange, Morris Day and the Time, Chance the Rapper, Black Violin, Lisa Fisher and most recently Andra Day and Gary Clark, Jr. courtesy of the Basilica Block Party. Oh yeah, and Beyoncé dropped in on us, although that was technically before the “official” start of summer, but we’re counting it anyway.
Seemingly no longer considered “fly over country,” the Twin Cities is proving to be a welcomed stop for touring artists nowadays. One needs look no further than the coming week to see that the area’s profile is on the rise. Within a span of six days several major shows descend upon the metro. This coming Sunday alone, three of them will compete for audiences … and dollars.
On Sunday (July 24), R&B icons New Edition team up with singer/songwriter/executive, Babyface for a show at the Target Center in Minneapolis. A few blocks away, soul crooner Brian McKnight kicks off three nights of shows at the Dakota Jazz Club and across town in St. Paul, Drake takes the stage at the Xcel Energy Center. Thankfully not everyone wants a Sunday show. Thursday (July 21), in a double-header of the truly gifted and truly underrated, Emily King and PJ Morton take to the Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis, for an intimate evening of soul/neo soul.
It’s hard to believe, but New Edition has been performing for more than 30 years now. The group that started the “boy band” era – though not properly credited for it – has endured break-ups, make-ups, reformations and spinoffs, all-the-while retaining a strong, loyal following. At the group’s height, few in R&B could compete with the group’s popularity. Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill are among a seldom few who can say they are as successful (and as known) individually as they are collectively.
Starting out as the lead singer of The Deal, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds’ fingerprints are all over 1990s/early 2000s R&B. Whether it was his own recordings or music he wrote for the likes of Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Toni Braxton and countless other or the music he and partner L.A. Reid put out with LaFace Records, Babyface’s legacy is unparalleled.
The ladies love Brian McKnight. Whether it’s his ballads that speak to the hearts of women or his handsome chocolate (and ageless) looks, Brian McKnight has endured and endeared. McKnight is stepping away from the arenas he once filled to perform a series of intimate performances with six shows in three nights at the Dakota.
Drake’s hotline will be blinging Sunday night at Xcel. The Toronto rapper and Lil Wayne protégé who burst on the scene with a mixtape that earned Grammy attention is sure to delight his herd of fans the moment he hits the stage … and the moment his quirky, yet infectious “Hotline Bling” comes on.
The treat of the week might just be the Emily King/PJ Morton show.
Emily King has the adoration of almost all her peers, but for some inexplicable reason, she never grew beyond her core (but respectable size) audience. Part of the reason is when King first debuted in the mid-2000s she was lumped in with a lot of other artists who emerged at the time, with then label-mate Alicia Keys breaking out from the pack and taking most of the shine. King’s debut album, “Eastside Story” did earn her a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album of the Year in 2006. She later struck out on tour with pop sensations, Maroon 5.
Maroon 5 could now be called Maroon 6 thanks to PJ Morton. Morton, a singer, songwriter and keyboardist caught the ear of Maroon front man Adam Levine, who invited Morton to sit in on a show. He never left. As a solo artist, Morton’s soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics make him one of the more recognizable names in the subgenre of neo soul.
So, what’s that you were saying about nothing to do in the Twin Cities?
