Voicemail Concet - Review

Voicemail’s performance was good but they were capable of doing better. They were running high of their album release “Hey”, which had just went gold in Japan. It was also doing very well in the States and around the world. Unfortunately for them, their performance was a surprise appearance in a concert that featured Sugarcolt, Latoya Luckett, some minor acts and Ludacris as the main performer. The Caribbeans in the audience were all going wild when they hit the stage however, as the minorities in a mixed crowd, the reggae lovers were clearly outnumbered .

Voicemail performed very well but didn’t do a very good job of winning the crowd over. It was very hard for them considering 3/4 of the audience didn’t understand them or knew their songs. Nonetheless, the show went on. The guys did a great job with their hits such as “Wacky Dip” and “Crazy” but struggled with songs that most of the crowd did not know. Given the circumstances, the did very well. If they reenacted the same performance in front on Memorial Day in Miami or Labor Day in Brooklyn it would have been a different story.

Concert Review:

Vocals: Stage Presence: Work the Crowd:

B+ B+ C+

Elephant Man Concert - Review

Many times fans are disappointed that their favorite artists sound nothing like they did on their CDs. This is true with Elephant Man... he is 10x BETTER in concert than he is on his CDs. They call him the energy god for a reason.The amount of energy the he puts into his performance has no match. His entrance was wild and exciting. As soon as he came out the crowd went wild. His performance is like a raw and uncut selector mix. He did old hits, new hits and future hits. His selector was blending songs and riddims while Eley was doing the same with his lyrics. The two of them were on the same page and in sync. It was amazing because the man was on top of the speakers, leaning over into the crowd, running around, dancing and not missing a beat in the songs. There were almost no pauses for the 40 minutes or so that he was on stage. When it seemed he had burned out and was calming down, he took a sip of water and started up again.

The crows fed off his energy and had to dance the entire time he was on stage. From wall to wall, everyone was battling, showing off their moves and having a great time.

Of any performer Elephant Man might be the king of the stage. Including rap, R&B, rock and all, he is on his own level. Many said they would buy another ticket to see him do it all again that same night.

Concert Review:

Vocals: Stage Presence: Work the Crowd:

A+ A+ A+

Collie Buddz Concert - Review

Regardless of the speculation about his accent being fake, the man has good music. Anyone who says anything less is lying. His stage presence is decent for a new artist. The crowd was very rowdy and only wanted to hear “Come Around” so he had to win them over the old fashion way. Although many most of his songs are better than "Come Around", people were unenthusiastic because they did not want to hear his unreleased tracks. He shocked the crowd when he performed “Tomorrows Another Day” and slowly began to win the over. Even the toughest critics began rocking with the riddim and got into the song. The audience enjoyed “Mamacita” but, he shocked many when he dropped a monster tune over the “Sidewalk University Riddim”.

On stage Collie seems like an unpolished Sean Paul. Not because, they are both light (well Collie is white …but you know), the way they act and move resemble each other. Also the energy they put into their music is similar. Just like Sean Paul, Collie admitted that he had "two lef’ foot" and that dancing wasn’t his thing. He surely wasn’t the best dancer but there is much worst out there. By the end of his performance he won over most of the crowd and gained their respect. After seeing him live, he silenced pre-concert criticism. Regardless of if his accent is fake or not, Collie is a living example of how big this reggae thing is. It’s reaching new levels.

Concert Review:

Vocals: Stage Presence: Work the Crowd:

B+ B- B

Alison Hinds Concert - Review

 

Alison Hinds is the queen of Soca for a reason. The Bajan beauty is a real diva and star on the stage. Her performance is energetic and fun. After sitting through so-so opening acts, the crowd was very unenthusiastic and growing miserable by the time the Queen hit the stage. Within about 5 seconds of walking out, the mood changed. She gave the crowd a hearty welcome and did a roll call by each country. The crowd ate up every word she had to say and fed off her energy.

Not only did her vocals sound great but she danced great. Anyone who has ever tried singing while dancing knows it is not an easy task. As a bonus she was very funny while on stage. Between songs she interacted with the crowd, told short stories and joke before jumping into her next tune. When the other artists that performed before her paused to talk, the rowdy crowd became unruly and aggressive. When Alison paused to tell a joke or story, everyone wanted to hear it. There wasn’t a boring moment in her performance. She even invited people to the stage to dance with her.

When it seems the concert couldn't be any better she performed "Roll It". The Queen of Soca is well worth the price of admission.

Concert Review:

Vocals: Stage Presence: Work the Crowd:

A+ A+ A+