“…these custom built snares are not for entertainment” – Declaime on Ms. One’s production skills
I’ve been an admirer of Georgia Anne’s since my first introduction in 2008 on a DJ Needles compilation. Two years later and six albums added to my collection, my appreciation for Georgia Anne’s talent continues to flourish. So when the New York show date was announced my pulse began to race and my heart was aflutter. Nothing but death could keep me from this show – real talk!
My anticipation was getting the best of me; I imagined one show scenario after another. With such a full catalog between the two I didn’t know what to expect. A moment of truth though, prior to this show I wasn’t very familiar with Declaime the artist except for a few guest collaborations. However I am familiar with Declaime when he takes the form of Dudley Perkins producer extraordinaire for/with Georgia Anne. So tack on curiosity.
Show day arrives and the weather is just gross, spittle rain, windy and cold. Weather conditions which illicit feelings more akin to staying indoors then hanging out. I make the mental adjustment and prepare for the evening ahead-away I go. I reach the venue and much to my dismay, the crowd is woefully thin. This is no way for New York to represent. Did NYC get the memo? The catalog is too rich and full. Unfortunately, this is another classic case of artists being slept on. This may call for extreme measures – form of a crazy, ultra-hype super fan. Alas all are saved from such a spectacle. The crowd started to trickle-in and fill up the space like Pharoahe Monch, Soulafrodisiac’s Anne Marie Collymore and emerging artist Nakia Henry (sidebar, Nakia’s album “Remember Me” is a witty, sexy, well-crafted, and impressive debut). Take that old man winter!
The pre-show music fills the air and the crowd is either, chatting, dining or sipping. Without fanfare, hype-man or flashing lights Declaime and Georgia Anne take the stage, the crowd is hyped. G&D are a self-contained unit – want beats, want lyrics, want artistry, need vocalists, need musicians – check, check, and triple check. Dudley’s at the controls manning the CD-Js with Georgia Anne by his side. A Flying Lotus beat flows from the speakers, Georgia Anne gets a feel of the stage while vamping on the mic; ladies and gentlemen – soundcheck. I’m so ready!
Out the gate I’m head-nodding the tracks ooze of West Coast sonic stylings, production equal heavy on the “FONK” (this is not a misspelling). Reminiscent of Parliament/Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins and Dr. Dre tracks have supple bass lines and sticky-synth keys. The onstage interplay allows each time to shine on the mic – a rhymesayer cooperative partnership. What’s even more endearing is their shared admiration each is a genuine fan of the other. The set list culled material from various projects. There is a message in their music, it’s not preachy, but thought-provoking addressing issues of self-awareness, social commentary-dare I say conscious lyrics all laced with that “FONK’. You still with me? Some of joints dropped were: “Connect Game”, “Shine On”, “Uhuru Flight”, “Fonk 4 U”, “Fame”, “Run It Down” and switching up the bpms a bit, Georgia Anne offered “Kings Ballad”, her tribute to Michael Jackson (a cut from her latest album of the same name). As the encore and request, Georgia Anne blessed us with the ode to art as therapy, “Roses”. The crowd gets live.
As a newbie, a Declaime and Georgia Anne show is an informal experience, not heavy on structure or particular order, but what is fonky at the moment. Note to self and others – a neck brace and/or Tiger Balm are in order because the FONK will have you head-nodding from start to finish. The next day my trapezius muscles were so sore – seriously.
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1 comment:
Thank you, love. I had a great time!
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