an appetizer at entree prices – Me’shell @ Apache
March 31, 2008 by ksolo
Filed under art & media, music
Oh snap! I realized I forgot to tell you about Me’shell Ndegeocello’s show last month at Apache Cafe….
The 2-second summary? The show was cool, but not as cool as I had hoped.
My friend and I went to the Friday night show. Expecting a large turnout and knowing that the venue was a standing, open-floor setup, we arrived right around 9p. There was a decent-sized crowd already gathered, but hardly enough to fill even a small venue like Apache. DJ Mafioso was doing his turntable wizardry, effortlessly moving from samba-inspired beats, to Fela, and on to some old school A Tribe Called Quest tracks. Something about the non-existent reaction from the crowd (except for when Mafioso played Jay-Z’s Flashy Lights), and the way everyone clung self-consciously to the already-crowded bar let me know that these weren’t the usual Apache scenesters or diehard music-heads.
Me’shell was supposed to come on at 10p, but I don’t think she took the stage until after 10:30. Not a big deal, but after standing around for an hour and a half, I was very ready to see the lady do her thang. Strangely enough, most of the songs performed were ones I’d never heard before, and I don’t think they had even been released because she kept introducing them with, “This one is called…” followed with a brief explanation of what the song was about. She did perform a few cuts that I recognized from the latest album (The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams), namely Evolution and The Sloganeer:Paradise. Now, don’t get me wrong, the music – though largely unfamiliar – was TIGHT! Accompanying Me’shell was a 4-piece band made up of: Mark Kelley (bass), Jason Lindner (keys), Chris Bruce (guitar), and Charles Haynes (drums). Everybody on the stage absolutely rocked it (the drummer was just sick)! They had me doing the whole close my eyes and nod my head bit even on the songs I didn’t know.
My only real complaint (and a big one at that) about the show? Too damned short!! I think the whole show – including an encore after everyone left the stage – was maybe…45minutes? And I don’t think most of the crowd was really feeling it…there just wasn’t enough energy coming from the audience for even my liking.
But overall, it was a good (just not great) performance….just wish it had been more of an entree than an appetizer.
cheers,
k
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Haramjada on Mon, 31st Mar 2008 3:58 pm
That’s a shame as she is quite an electrifying and powerful performer with great socially conscious songs set to tight rhythms and fluid song structures. She’s a unique voice in popular music these days. Maybe she wasn’t feelin’ it either; everyone can have an off night.
Carlton Hargro on Tue, 1st Apr 2008 8:06 am
Honestly, for the last few years Me’shell has been doing some really terrible live shows. She has probably burned alot of her fan base.
ksolo on Tue, 1st Apr 2008 10:22 am
to carlton:
yeah, i had heard that from some other folks as well. i was shocked b/c i’d seen her some years back at the variety playhouse and her show was great….
i kinda got the feeling this time that she was doing the whole ‘i’m an artist, and no one can understand me’ bit.
Sumatra77 on Sat, 5th Apr 2008 1:02 pm
I love Me’shell and her music and saw her in concert years ago when I was in college. I went alone and it was one of the best concerts I’ve been to in a while. Very raw, rich, haunting, moving. I would love to see her again, but hopefully, I won’t be disappointed.
claucworc on Thu, 10th Apr 2008 7:57 pm
I really wanted to see the show, I feel a little better now that it seems like she didnt cover any of my faves of hers. There is no way she could have done all the stuff I like of hers in 45 minutes.