RAPHAEL SAADIQ @ Cabaret du Musée

By J-Nice - The Limelight - 03/17/2009

If I were to tell you that I was so excited to be given the opportunity to see Raphael Saadiq in concert that I took out my old "Tony! Toni! Toné!"  albums and starting dancing in my room like I was young again…that would be a bold faced lie. I was more curious than anything, as there are definitely more Raphael Saadiq enthusiast out there, namely my Co-Host Lady Oracle,  who’s played a few songs from his new album The Way I See It a few times on our show.

With that said, I feel I would be a good candidate to  give the readers an unbiased opinion of the concert though the eyes of an average joe, rather than a star struck groupie writing her number on a pair of panties ready to  be thrown on the stage.

So once the music started blasting out of the speakers I stood there stonefaced,  not wanting to give in but to stand strong and keep a clear head (no groupie vibes here),but boy it was hard. At first his backup singers and musicians came out and preceded to  give the crowd a piece of what they have been waiting for: that old school style of music…the kind that makes your feet start tapping and shoulders start moving.  You know the vibe, like a good ol’ Black Southern Church. Then he come out energetic and smooth in a white suit, black thin tie and black glasses, like a geek. The geek that most girls would have probably laughed at if it wasn’t for the fact that he’s so popular, and they sure weren’t laughing that night. He was cheered, loved and admired. Raphael Saadiq looked and sounded so amazing, I couldn’t help but smile at his success and the fact that he is still going strong with his love of music to this day. I proceeded to gently toss in his general direction my number written on a piece of material, in hopes of getting a phone interview (we’ll see).

He started the show with a few songs from The Way I See It, a compilation of vintage style singing I believe after seeing him perform that only he could have pulled off.  The concert itself went along the lines of most concerts I’ve seen, mixing some of his old with some of his new. Interacting with the crowd, making sure we were happy and wanting more, which by the look of the crowd we did indeed. His band was amazing; they did an excellent job making sure Raphael had the best musical accompaniment for his singing, from the backup singers giving his songs the richness they deserve to the musicians playing their instruments to perfection.

One of the really good moments during the concert was when his brother (who was playing on the Keyboards) broke out and did a little solo singing that rocked the crowd. Unfortunately where I was situated I couldn’t actually see him, but it really didn’t matter since his voice was strong and displayed much talent that instantly deserved your respect.

Saadiq wasn’t shy, and while he didn’t jump into the crowd, he wasn’t afraid to shake hands and flirt with the ladies. He had a good, fun vibe, both of which you’d expect from a performer of his caliber. I found myself having a little more appreciation for his music and have actually spending  some time listening  to his album, I guess I want to relive the vibe from that night. All in all a very good concert and I’m very happy to have gone.

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