Coors Lights presents NERD at Sonar

L.A. based rap group Pac Div opened up for NERD. Now I downloaded Pac Div's mixtape Mania! when it first came out and only listened to it once or twice. Silly me those guys are awesome. They had slick lyrics and stage presence to be new on the scene. Brothers Mibbs and Like and their longtime friend BeYoung got the crowd nice and ready for their mentors. Their set was better to me than NERD. I'm sure some of you are shock by the last comment but it's true.

The energy was through the roof. Granted I’d seen Pharell, Chad Hugo and Shay open for Erykah Badu two summers ago. This time around they were at a much smaller venue and the headliners of the night. I enjoyed their performance way better at Pier 6 . Maybe it was the ambience of the venue. Let me set the scene for you…grown and sexy (that phrase should be buried btw but follow me anyway) on the harbor, breeze flowing, different age groups, big flashing lights and background dancers. The crowd at Sonar was your Jordan wearing, tight jean rocking, going broke to buy a BBE t-shirt, Cassie look a like wearing fans. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing wrong with that but I’m an old soul so I guess the older crowd and background dancers, and flashing lights did something for me two years ago.

 At one point, Pharell encouraged the crowd to “bump into your neighbor”…As he’s talking I’m thinking “Baltimore doesn’t need an excuse to be violent…lawd no” then before you know it everybody is knocking into each other, jumping up and down…it was a seen out of movie. I had to remove myself from the middle of the “chaos” and didn't know if i should prepare myself for an expected mosh  pit. Highlight-I love the bassline in “all girls standing in the life the bathroom” …that’s when I started acting like a monkey fool right along with the NERD fanatics. That song just sends me OVER the top. They performed a lot of songs from In Search of Sound album..which is not particularly my favorite album from the guys…so I just bopped my head since I didn’t know the lyrics. 

Quadron Opens for Raphael Saadiq

While Danish based music group Quadron was in town a couple weeks ago opening for Raphael Saadiq, I had the opportunity to chat with lead singer Coco. I'm learning that musicians are very shy and reserved aside from their on stage persona. She was very soft spoken, shy and a sweetie pie. Not jaded by her group's popularity one little bit.

Coco wasn't joined by her other half Robin but instead she had a musician by the name of August to fill the void. Now I've never seen Quadron perform live before, but I thoroughly enjoyed their set as a newbie. I can't begin to imagine how it feels to perform to a lackluster crowd. I swear I was the one dancing like my life depended on it. Sadly enough, the crowd had no idea who they were except for me and like 10 others so they were just staring at them on stage.

I get so frustrated with Baltimore because they are such a hard crowd to please. I've even heard very well known artists say that Baltimore crowds are tougher than New York City- that blew me away. Luckily-they sold all of their cds after their set before Saadiq came onstage. That brought a smile to my face. Always makes me happy when independent artists win over a crowd and gains new fans. I suddenly feel like a proud parent.

Coco's voice had me speechless. She was so animated on stage while grooving to the sound of her own voice. Don't you just love when singing is so effortless for some people?  Keyboardist August played all sorts of sounds on the keyboard. Amazing what you can do on the keys. August played the heck out of the saxophone on the keys. It was un-be-liev-able!

Chanel Laren: How is it being signed to indie label Plug Research?

Coco: It's pretty dope. We were pretty happy about that. It came out of the computer one day on Myspace they were interested in us. We didn’t have any expectations for the U.S. at all- we were just happy that it got released in Denmark.
CL: Do you think you’ll do any collaborations with your label mates?

Coco: We are both big fans of Bilal and Flying Lotus. We would love to and now it’s out there. We’ve met Bilal a couple times. We are doing the Jazz Reggae fest he's going to be a part of the ensemble I’ll be performing. That will be one step closer to a collaboration.

CL: How’d you come up with the name Quadron?

Coco: We wanted the name to be something we had in common and have a nice one word. Robin and I are both a quarter black. Robin’s grandfather is West African American and my grandfather is African. That is one thing we have in common. Quadron comes from the word quadroon. Quadron is the same in Danish except its spelled kuadron...it makes sense in English and Danish. It could be a quarter of soul, electronic music- a lot of things. It’s good word to build on.

CL: Have you fully digested your success?

Coco: The internet is crazy…its hard to feel what’s really going. You read a lot of stuff and you don’t know who these people are or what it means. For instance, we discovered that a radio station in Seattle was playing Average Fruit. We found that on the internet. Sometime you google your own name. We were excited that an American radio station was playing our song. We didn’t know what it meant because we didn’t know what that meant and now we’ve figured it out. Between internet and touring that’s how we feel like things are happening. It’s nice to connect to the fans. It’s nice to put faces with the people you write with like right now.

CL: How’d you and Robin meet?
Coco: Copahagen is really small, you almost know everybody when you do music. He was in a group Boom Clap Bachelors and had a dj friend who was a common friend for us. He had worked at a record shop and my friend told me about him. Eventually he took me to the record shop digging for some instrumentals that I would sing on top of at local night clubs. And he introduced me to Robin and invited him to one of our shows and he didn’t show up. But a week later we did another event and he was there with Boom Clap. I sang and they liked it and asked me to be apart of the live band. I was asked to stay and one day Quadron was born.

Jimmy Kimmel and Boyz II Men say goodbye to Oprah

Jimmy Kimmel and Boyz II Men said their goodbyes to the Queen of day time talk last night. Today was Oprah's last show at her Harpo Studios ending her 25 year stint. Check out this video. Did they really pour out a lil liquor for Oprah? #icant LOL

Justin Timberlake & Lady Gaga take on down to Liquorville

In case you missed it, the incredibly funny Justin Timberlake hosted SNL's season finale last Saturday. Lady Gaga was the musical act of the night. While I didn't enjoy her performances one little bit, she cracked me up in a few skits. Liquorville was my favorite. Check it out!

Concert Review: Mint Condition Funks Up Baltimore!

Last Saturday, Mint Condition was at Bourbon Street in Baltimore and you know who was there. Me of course! This was my second time seeing the awesome band! They were one of the lucky performers to open for the one and only Prince while he was in New York for his Welcome 2 America tour last December.

Just like I suspected, the crowd was mostly 35 and over for sure. I might've been the youngest whipper snapper there, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. While the crowd was filling in, everybody was whispering to each other what song they wanted to hear. Perhaps I was too eager, but I made a "must hear list" in my Blackberry and they sang all my favorites but one and much more. Not bad at all. No complaints from me.

The DJ was playing all the oldies but goodies of the 90s to get the fans ready. Every now and again you'd see a couple two stepping and yelling "yesssss" when they apparently heard their JAM. At this point, the crowd was on fire from anticipation of hearing Stokley's unique voice and live instrumentation that only Mint Condition can deliver. As the house lights grew dim and smoke filled the stage, the band members Ricky, O'dell, Jeffrey, Brandon Commodore, and Larry got in position while Stokley talked to the crowd from backstage.

The R&B funk band opened their concert with Look Whatchu Done to Me and then went straight into You Send Me Swinging and ladies and gents went crazy! The love, admiration, and energy that filled Bourbon Street was indescribable. There were at least 3 different generations all grooving with the same intent to just enjoy themselves and have a good time. What a sight to see!

Stokley is a big ball of energy! This brother was getting down like he was trying to shake the beat out his body but couldn't. I've seen tons of concerts and this show definitely has been added to my top 20 concerts. After twenty years and seven albums in the music business, the band still enjoys performing and its plain to see. They could teach a class called "How to put on live shows: keeping the audience engaged". I know a lot of artists that should be enrolled this semester. Don't you?

They didn't sing many songs from their latest album 7, but don't fret, the fans were satisfied with the hits. When they sang So Fine I damn near got knocked over by the lady that was jamming SO HARD behind me. Moments like that just make me laugh because she couldn't help herself. The live instrumentation was A-MAZ-ING. Every member put in work for sure.

Stokley and drummer Brandon Commodore battled each other on the percussions. Brandon was jamming so hard he lost one of his sticks and kept playing without missing a beat. That's what you call a true musician. Keyboardist Jeffrey played the hell out of his sax solo. The band broke into a Carribean beat while Jeffrey channeled his carribean roots and killed the sax.

The crowd went wild as soon as they heard the chords on Mint Condition's latest single Caught My Eye. Everyone sang along with Stokley "baby you caught my eye, caught my eye". Throw in some classics like What Kind of Man Would I Be and You Don't Have to Hurt No More and you have an awesome set.

Pretty Brown Eyes was the most anticipated song of the night, and rightfully so, it was the encore. It was going to be a serious problem if Mint Condition left without singing their most famous song. My section started screaming "Pretty Brown Eyes", just in case the guys forgot they were sent to sing just that song if nothing else. The band left us chanting "I gotchu, you got me, I gotchu you, you got me too, I gotchu you, you got me, we got us". Bottom line is...20 years later these guys are still going strong and we've got each other. Their latest album entitled 7 is in stores now. Go get it!

Set List


Look Whachu Done to Me
You Send Me Swinging
Rollercoaster
So Fine
Why Do We Try
Nothing Left to Say
Sometimes
Jeffrey's Sax solo
Caught My Eye
Atomic dog/Love and Happiness medley
You Don't Have to Hurt No More
Breaking My Hear (Pretty Brown Eyes)


*Some songs missing

Concert Recap: Yelle @ Irving Plaza

Over the weekend, I traveled to New York City to see french electro dance pop band Yelle (Yelle, GrandMarnier,Tepr) perform at Irving Plaza. That concert was exactly what I needed after a very long and stressful week. I've only had the pleasure of seeing a handful of concerts in the Big Apple. (You're shocked I know) J*Davey at SOBs in 2008, Prince at Madison Square Garden last December and Yelle at Irving Plaza. Well those are the most notable shows anyway. I have yet to be disappointed. All three have high energy shows.

As most of you know, Coachella was last month in California. I was supposed to be camping out and grooving to all the indie and major bands. But, things never go the way as planned. Long story short I was sitting on the couch b@tching and sulking because I didn't go, when I came across a youtube ad for Coachella livestream. My face lit up like a kid in a candy store. I missed all the big acts like Erykah Badu, Kanye, Wiz Khalifa, Ryan Leslie, and newly popular rap group Odd Future. Thought I'd broaden my horizons and check out some indie bands.

I clicked back in forth between 4 channels that were showing the different stages at the music festival. Then I stumbled upon Yelle. Boy I didn't know what I was getting myself into. All I know was 5 minutes into their set, I was dancing in the middle of the living room while they performed on my computer. I had my own little jam session forgetting that I wasn't outside in the smoldering heat but in the confines of my house enjoying  a live show. 

Of course I have to recap the line, up until the band exits stage right. We walked passed the venue about an hour before the show and the line was ALL the way down the street. Moments like those make me happy for up and coming bands. Crazy to me that new bands can bring out huge numbers and sell out a venue but artists that have been in the game 10 plus years can't get fill 100 seats. Damn shame really!

New York crowds are always buck and lively which is quite refreshing compared to a Baltimore show where the audience just stands there with their arms folded as if they didn't pay money to see the show. Never heard of the opening act French Horn Rebellion (Robert and David Perlick-Molinari) but they ROCKED the house. ahahh no seriously they really did! At one point in the show, one of the members jumped up on the speaker to then jump up the balcony to party with their fans.

See I've studied Spanish since middle school and I know a few choice phrases in French...the most popular being Merci beaucoup. All of the songs were in French and to my surprise this American crowd knew the songs word for word. Meanwhile I'm jumping around, stuck in an electro pop trance, dancing off beat for most of the show. Don't judge me! I always have rhythm but for some odd reason I got punked into dancing like the rest of my neighbors. The music just takes over you and you're no longer in control of your body. I had a couple of "what the hell" moments but I kept dancing like a fool. It felt good and I liked it

Lead singer Yelle was getting it! She was dancing her butt off, which made me dance harder. It's nothing like seeing the artist having fun up on stage. GrandMarnier who is the drummer was really taking me back to the motherland for a second. It was like listening to a marching band at points and then he'd take us on this safari ride with African beats. You would have to be there to know what I'm talking about.

The crowd was roaring, people were jumping up and down, fist pumping, bumping into each other, and sweating. It looked like a scene straight out of a movie. It was as if the director instructed all of the dancers and extras to dance their  hardest like they're on American Bandstand and perhaps win a million dollars. I had never seen anything like it in my LIFE. This is what live shows are all about. There was no hatred, drama or violence just sheer love and appreciation of good music.



Set List

S'éteint Le Soleil
Qui Est Cette Fille (Robyn cover)
Unillusion
Ce Jeu
La Musique
J'ai Bu
Comme Un Enfant
Je Veux Te Voir
C'est Pas Une Vie
Que Veux Tu
Safari Disco Club


Encore:
Cooler Couleur
A Cause Des Garçons / A Cause Des Garçons (Tepr Remix)

Missing New York City Already

It's been a minute since I've blogged but here I am. Over the weekend I went to the Big Apple aka one of my favorite places in the whole wide world. My main purpose was to see French electro pop band Yelle but more importantly I needed a change of scenery. New York was just what the doctor ordered and now I feel rejuvenated and a little sad that I had to return home. But what can you do? Nothing...so until then I'll just visit monthly.

Lets just say that i think Saturday was the best day that i've had this year. I dont know if thats just PLAIN sad or what but keep it coming. Now usually I would take pics like a true tourist and just capture every beautiful bird, piece of New York trash, homeless man on the subway, break dancers on the stoop. This time around I wasn't inspired...perhaps I just wanted to stay in the moment. I did take pictures of this cute little hot dog looking puppie at the flea market and at the concert. My cannon stayed zipped up in my bag the entire trip. Hmmmph.

Let me take you on a tour of my day...started out on the Megabus where I get the most uncomfortable sleep ever, but I'm always grateful that when I wake up we are going through the Lincoln tunnel. My homegirl and I headed straight for Hells Kitchen flea market which was one of the most fashionable flea markets that I have ever laid eyes on. Too bad I had almost 15 more hours left of my trip before I boarded the bus again because I would've bought a vintage treasure chest, this slick Victorian mirror, some drinking glasses for the kitchen and the list goes on. All of that stuff would not have fitted in my messenger bag.I did purchase some jewelry and I will be back next month. Shout out to my new boyfriend...can't remember his name but he sold me the perfect earrings for the perfect price and now I love him.

From there we went to some street spring fair/farmers market in Union Square. Not every day do I just randomly walk up on wine and apple cider tastings. What a treat! Nothing like freebies. The weather was just right...quite the perfect day for strolling through the streets, popping in and out of stores and sitting on park benches people watching.


TO BE CONTINUED...