Live review: Estelle and Solange bring fashionable soul front and center
March 17th, 2009 by DeMarco Williams in Music news
ESTELLE
Estelle/Solange/Suai
March 12 at Center Stage
The theme of the night was independent thinking — or the lack thereof.
We’re not just talking about outside-the-box performers Solange, or the night’s headliner Estelle, either. No, the crowd gets called out this time. The source of my discontent: Center Stage has a unique setup in that you don’t have to stand in front of the stage; fans can actually cop a squat in the surrounding theater seating and, essentially, leave the dance floor clear. Mind you, I’ve been to a number of shows at the venue and have never seen this happen — until this night. If only one person would have boldly made a move, others would’ve followed. But nooooo…
Thankfully, opening act Suai (like “sway”) wasn’t bothered by the crowd’s unwillingness to get off its collective ass. Seemingly imagining a room full of revelers in front of her, the Detroit siren went on to channel every bit of Jazmine Sullivan and Fantasia into a two-song bit that more than impressed. With the right push, “Oh Snap” has mild hit written all over it. Fellow opener and Barbados native Hal Linton didn’t leave quite the same impression. Like my wife so astutely put it, his John Legend-like flow just came off confusing with the skater dude fashion.
Solange, on the other hand, shot out in a flowy top, black leather leggings and peep-toe heels. If you’ve heard her bubbly ’08 release Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, you know the fun outfit made perfect sense. Plus, she matched up dashingly well with her Beatles-inspired band decked out in fuchsia suits, the same shade as Solange’s blouse.
Colorful song (“Dancing in the Dark”) after song (“Sandcastle Disco”) after song (“Would’ve Been the One”) was delivered in the most free-spirited, energetic manner you’d imagine from a Knowles sister. Oh, and the aforementioned empty dance floor? With all the vigor emitting from the stage, it was impossible for it to remain dead during her show. Mid-way through her set, Solange paused to thank the fans for supporting her and unconventional acts like Chester French and Janelle Monae — who was actually in the building. It was a quick moment, but a powerful message.
Estelle had a few of her own highlights, too. Known for her conversational banter between tracks, the British singer didn’t disappoint, explaining in R-rated detail how highlights (“No Substitute Love,” “More Than Friends”) from her underrated album Shine came to be. In the middle of fan fave “Magnificent,” someone in the audience handed her a bouquet of flowers. The gesture was sweet and actually symbolized the overall feeling of the crowd, which seemed to be thanking her for doing soul in her matchless way, and for bringing like-minded artists to the same Atlanta stage.
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