Kele @ Sala Rossa

Embarking upon his first solo tour across three continents, Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke performed solo in Montréal at La Salla Rosa on the 4th of September, 2010. Being his seventh overall stop and second in a majority francophone city, Kele strutted onstage with a well-traveled divinity that hinted towards modesty. The females within the first ten meters immediately shot glances towards upstage while the men opened their ears and loosened their dancing feet; Kele’s presence alone made the measly cost of the concert ticket forgettable to all now tuned-in to his music. His goal was seeking converts to his style.

While the first gulps of alcoholic drinks were taken and the fanfare gravitated from the bar to the stage, Kele began his set with "Walk Tall", the first song off his 2010 solo album The Boxer. The hyperactive single began in usual Bloc Party rhythm, before breaking into the new electronic hybrid genre that Kele now represents. Those mostly filling Sala Rossa were long-term fans of Kele, drawn to him from his beginning in the alternative/indie rock group Bloc Party and excited to hear what his new-found autonomy would produce. Capitalizing on fan-loyalty, the show spawned a new Kele never before presented, though just as equally esteemed as Bloc Party (on hiatus as of October 31st of last year).

Tighter, sharper beats kept the audience extremely active, from cuts "On The Lam" to "The Other Side" to the now-popular single "Everything You Wanted". Kele’s use of electronic acoustics and sounds placed him more as a showman than a lead singer, as his voice and direction appealed directly to the music, rather than seeking to overpower and dominate it. This new sound magically arranged itself out of chaos, inventing a New Spontaneous Order that easily convinced show goers to stay until the last chord was struck.

Not wanting to disappoint those most loyal to him, Kele (his first name, as well as his solo moniker) hammered out a continuous string of Bloc Party favorites: "Blue Light", "The Prayer" and "One More Chance". While the show goers forewent using their voices for the sake of dancing at the beginning of the show, the Bloc Party hits evoked harmonic cries, amazingly useful for more than just ordering drinks at the bar. This part of the show converged Group Member Kele with Solo Artist Kele, and the moment and audience did seem to favor the latter. The energy emitted from the stage disseminated among the crowd, from the hip-hopper to the head banger to the quiet couple, one standing in front of the other.

The undeniable apex of the show was the hit "Tenderoni", which has already garnered 25,000 plays on Last.fm and over 1.2 million views on Youtube at the moment of the writing of this review. It would be naïve to chronicle this song in any other way, as simply: Kele. This is the new Kele, the one that shall continue to load mp3 players, lag computers and excite audiences and dance clubs for ages to come. "Tenderoni"’s electronic stylings and excitable beat epitomizes the entire album and is certain to be Kele’s solo mark upon the world of music. Far from Kele’s only dance hit (he's already collaborated with The Chemical Brothers and Tiësto), "Tenderoni" will open an entire genre’s worth of audience and potential for future albums.

Seeking to test the limits of his voice, Kele’s next song was the calmer "Rise". Though less excitable, this song also proved energetic with a great mix of Kele’s singing. Ranging from high-melodies to low-digs, Kele proved his talent beyond expectation and began the slow transition to the end of the show. The next tune was "All The Things I Could Never Say", a less-vibrant song filled with much more emotion and empathetic swings than any other song performed that evening. The gentile atmosphere was quickly penetrated, however, by the Bloc Party classic "Flux", which Kele used to close out the show. This was enough to regenerate the loyal Bloc Partisans to his favor, and to leave all others awaiting more.

In closing, Kele had transformed an entire room of concert-goers to converts to his style. If he shall continue to pursue his musical dreams, than he shall surely have a following with the youth of this day.