It’s been five years in the making, but judging from the reaction of the capacity crowd at the Icehouse in Minneapolis, KING’s “We are KING” was worth the wait.
Although the album was just a week old when the group hit the Icehouse stage, fans were already singing along to several tunes during the trio’s nearly 75-minute set. With Paris Strother controlling all the music from a grouping of keyboards, a laptop and beat machine, Amber Strother and Anita Bias smoothly and melodically delivered vocal performances that perfectly accompanied Paris Strother’s genius production. The two vocalists didn’t overpower the room with “big” voices, but they didn’t have to – it would have been out of place and contrary to what endeared fans to KING in the first place. Although the atmosphere had all the trappings of a Friday night party, the performance was more of an intimate vibe, as if being invited into one’s living room – it was gracious and comforting. Even the stage lighting was mellowed out, often blue, with subtle smoke being pushed from a nearby fog machine.
The Grammy Award-winning group has been the talk of R&B/soul music fans since it dropped its three-song EP, “The Story” in 2011. Praise and accolades quickly followed with the likes of Erykah Badu, Eric Roberson, Robert Glasper and even Prince showing the group much love. Fans clamored for a full-length follow-up to “The Story” and followed Internet rumor after rumor as to when the full project would drop, but on Feb. 5 their shouts were heard with the long-awaited release of “We are KING.” The album is 12 tracks with extended mixes of the three songs from the EP, “Hey,” “Supernatural” and “The Story.” A couple of songs from “We are KING” – “Mister Chameleon” and “In the Meantime” – were offered up as teasers prior to the full project release.
Paris Strother said the tour in support of “We are KING” has exceeded her dreams.
“It feels amazing to get such warm receptions and it’s amazing that people hung with us and were willing to wait to get the full album,” said Paris Strother. “It’s an incredible feeling to be communicating with our fans through the music and through our live shows.”
Prior to the Minneapolis show the group had sold out performances in Detroit and Chicago as well as well-received shows on the West Coast. Artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Goapele and Corinne Bailey Rae have been recently spotted at a KING live show. Because of KING’s former association with Prince some may have hoped he would have shown up for the Icehouse gig, but it was probably for the best that he didn’t show because this was KING’s moment and they deserved it all to themselves.
The Icehouse performance was a homecoming for twin sisters Paris Strother and Amber Strother, who are both from Minneapolis. Paris Strother said this performance was made more special because they were performing for so many they know and love.
“It’s amazing to perform in front of your hometown. We have so much love for home and to look out into that crowd and see a lot of friends and family was beautiful.”
Bias is from Los Angeles, where all three now reside.
KING won a Grammy in 2013 for their appearance on Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio” project.
