Fast-forwarding through the Grammys

I know I’m not alone when I say I only tuned into the Grammys last night to see how they would honor Whitney Houston.

While I’m a lover of music, my tolerance of the Grammys has waned through the years. Having to sit through more than three hours of a television show full of acts I usually have not heard of or listened to is not my idea of a productive evening.

Besides, the Grammys can be quite boring.

Hence the reason I waited two hours after the show began to start my DVR recording playback. Watching this show and being able to fast forward past the stuff I have no interest in was the only way I could sit through the ceremony. 

The inventor of the DVR is a great individual; I was able to watch a 3½ hour program in an hour and a half.

While there really wasn’t one moment that stood out for me, here are my highlights:

LL Cool J is to be commended for opening the ceremony with a short, but heart-felt prayer for Whitney (which were his own words). He tastefully acknowledged “the death in the family,” and was able to keep the show moving along, despite the previous night’s events.

Oh, and he looked damn sexy on that stage. He gave me a reason to slow down on the fast forward at times. That man’s physical features only improve as he ages.

Bruno Mars telling the audience to “get off your rich asses and let’s have some fun?” Hilarious! Especially because they got up!

The Alicia Keys/Bonnie Raitt tribute to Etta James was poignant. Both have incredibly strong vocals, and singing one of their favorite Etta classics, Sunday Kind of Love, will hopefully keep the memory of Etta going.

We all know Chris Brown is an incredible dancer, but the Grammys is about the music. While he did his thing, I would have preferred more singing to go along with all that jumping around he was doing.

When it comes to selecting the “best,” I wonder what the thought process is of the members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science. Have they actually listened to the music they select, or is it more of a popularity contest?

Chris Brown looked and sounded surprised (I was surprised myself) when he won his first Grammy over Ledisi (his open shirt was not sexy). I might be a bit biased because I love Ledisi and think Chris’ music is alright, but there is no way his F.A.M.E. should have beat her Pieces of Me for Best R&B album.

Ledisi also lost out to Cee Lo Green in the Best R&B Song category. Cee Lo won for Best Traditional R&B Performance as well. Now, I’ve listened to a few Cee Lo songs, and nothing about his music screams “traditional” R&B.

Which brings me to another point. Many of Adele’s songs sound more R&B yet she was nominated in the pop categories. Cee Lo's sound is more alternative or even pop, not R&B. Whoever is deciding what music fits where needs to look beyond race when making classifications.

Even after winning five trophies (which included Record of the Year where she stated, “I know it’s not really a pop record”), Adele looked genuinely surprised when her name was called for Album of the Year. Her almost “ugly” cry was touching because she really did appear to be overwhelmed with all the recognition.

It amazes me how Stevie Wonder usually always receives a standing ovation whenever he’s on a program; shows just how loved and revered he is.

I’m not quite sure what to say about Nicki Minaj’s performance. It was, um, different? Interesting? Convoluted? Controversial? Or was it just a hot ass mess?

Katy Perry, on the other hand, sounded like she was sending a message to her soon to be ex-husband Russell Brand. Lyrics from Part of Me include, “So you can keep the diamond ring/it don’t mean nothing anyway/in fact you can keep everything/except for me.” Tell him girl!

Even though I skimmed through the show, I didn’t appreciate the tribute for Whitney being almost two hours and 45 minutes into the telecast.

But, Jennifer Hudson appearing composed a little more than 24 hours after the loss of one of her idols, singing such an emotional song shows the professionalism and strength Jennifer obviously possesses.

Accompanied only by a piano, she didn’t over sing the song; didn’t go for the well-known high note Whitney had hit countless times before. It was a tasteful and an appropriate way to honor the legacy of greatness.

My fond memories of Whitney Houston

While it’s been more than two years since the world lost Michael Jackson, it’s still difficult wrapping my brain around that fact. There are still days when I say out loud "Michael Jackson is dead."

I’m now left with my mouth hanging open yet again in disbelief at the news of singer Whitney Houston passing at the young age of 48.

You are hard pressed to name another singer that has the vocal ability of Whitney. I’ve heard many others try and imitate her, and very few have come close to matching her range and ability.

While the last few years of her life were turbulent, I choose to remember the Whitney that made Dolly Parton millions with her rendition of I Will Always Love You . While written and originally sung by Parton in the 70s, it would be Whitney who took it to another level in the 90s, making it a number one record that stayed on the charts in that position for 15 weeks.

The song appeared on the soundtrack for the movie The Bodyguard in which Whitney not only starred in, but provided the majority of music. The Bodyguard soundtrack spent 20 weeks at number, was certified 17x platinum, was the first album to sell more than 1 million records in a single week. To date, it has sold more than 44 million copies world-wide, making it the best-selling soundtrack of all time.

Whitney broke countless records – when her first album was released in 1985, it was the best-selling record by a female artist. Her second album, Whitney, would make her the first female EVER to debut at number one on Billboard. She also was only the artist to chart seven-consecutive number one singles.

I remember the Whitney Houston of the 80s that had me dancing around my house singing I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me). Who can forget that big hair and her two-step dance moves (I love the two step!)

Her debut album, Whitney Houston gave us the classic songs You Give Good Love, Saving All My Love For You, How Will I Know and Greatest Love of All. The last song conjures up a fond childhood memory.

The year was 1985 and I'm in the fifth grade. That year, the inspirational Greatest Love of All was just one of Whitney’s hits – and my favorite. For some reason, I had it in my mind it would be a good idea to sing it at the school talent show. I don’t remember much, outside of being really nervous and other classmates being on stage with me.

Needless to say, that was the first (and last “official”) time I sung in front of an audience.

When Saving All My Love For You was released, my sister and I would go back and forth on what she was singing in one particular line. The line was, “I got to get ready,” but I swore up and down she was saying “I got to get petty.” Makes absolute no sense at all, but I just knew what I heard!

Thank God for the Internet sites where we can now look up song lyrics.

The other disagreement my sister and I always had was who was better, Whitney or Janet Jackson. There wasn’t a thing my sister could say to convince me that Whitney was a better talent than Janet. Of course I see the error of my ways now, but I guess as a young child I related to Janet more than I did Whitney.

It’s a blessing that Whitney left us with a legacy of timeless music that will endure long after the story of her death fades from the headlines.

Smokey Robinson said it best on CNN last night: “She is one of the greatest voices in the history of music.”

Thank you Whitney Elizabeth Houston, for sharing with the world your God-given talent – which I knew was beyond measure, but I didn’t fully appreciate until this very moment, when your voice was silenced by death.

May you be remembered more for what you gave us vocally and less for the trials and tribulations you faced throughout your life.

Paying homage to Soul Train

In October 1971, a Chicago journalist turned disc jockey named Don Cornelius brought a show – that was initially started locally – into millions of homes across America.

That show, Soul Train, went on to become, according to wikipedia.com, ". . . the longest, continuously running first-run syndicated program in television history."

Soul Train provided viewers the opportunity to see musicians who otherwise were pretty invisible on television, and the soul music artists were able to reach a wider audience, thus giving them the ability to attract even more fans.

Every Saturday afternoon, households everywhere would tune in to see “the hippest trip in America” with its latest dance moves and fashion trends of the moment.  The “Soul Train Line” became (and still is) a staple at events such as weddings, graduation and birthday parties.

Almost 40 years later, viewers are left with memories of Cornelius signing off every show with his signature “. . . and you can bet your last money, it’s all gonna be a stone gas, honey! I’m Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and SOUL!”

Cornelius died on Feb. 1, and while we are all left wondering what would motivate this 75-year-old man to take his own life, only Cornelius knows the reason.

In tribute to his legacy, on Feb. 4, individuals in Times Square filled the streets and broke into a Soul Train Flash mob.

Today, in the honor of Don Cornelius’ creative endeavor, I offer a few of my favorite Soul Train moments:

A few years ago, my sister recorded an episode of Soul Train featuring Chico DeBarge performing Talk to Me. I have NEVER laughed so hard in my life. I know it was the 80s, and as I child of that decade, I can look back and honestly say we were a hot mess at times. Well, maybe more times than I'll admit, but every decade has their moment.

Chico was beyond a mess with his cut-off shirt and slick hair. I’m not sure what look he was going for, but it appeared to be a bad imitation of Prince and his brother, El DeBarge.

And his dancing? Whew, I’m cracking up just thinking about him kneeling down and popping back up where he promptly goes into this side-to-side move. Michael Jackson he definitely wasn’t!

I couldn’t find the exact clip on YouTube, but this one will have to suffice as it comes close to his Soul Train appearance.

I always had a great affection for the Soul Train Line seeing as though I know I would have never made it down the line (my idea of dancing is the two-step, which I do quite well, thank you oh so very much). I think the moves from the 70s were way better than the 80s (and so was the fashion. I’m still trying to figure out what we were thinking when we got dressed in the 80s!)  Here’s a clip of Cornelius himself taking a stroll down the line.

Two words – New Edition! One of the best groups to come out of the 80s, NE appeared on the show many times. Here they are in 1985 singing Candy Girl wearing matching white outfits and dancing in formation. I loved them then, and I love them now!

Lastly, one thing that always bothered me about the show was the lip synching. I still do not understand why the artists couldn’t sing live! Those who appeared on Soul Train were not like some of today’s singers who were created in the studio.

The likes of Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five, Aretha Franklin and Barry White all appeared on the show and could have done easily sung live.

A recap of 2011

Looking over my ticket stubs from last year, it’s amazing how many shows I attended! I honestly forgot about one concert (luckily the notes I took reminded me).

Here’s a recap of the shows I attended in 2011.

Ledisi – Jan 23, 2011, Yoshi’s Oakland

In referencing my notes from this show, I wrote, “Watching Ledisi perform is like watching her make love to the mic.” There’s something sensual about watching Ledisi perform. She invites you into her world with the sway of her hips, the twinkle in her eyes and the sassiness of her voice.

Ledisi’s vocals have a richness and depth that not only holds your attention, and captivates you at the same time. You can’t help but get caught up at a Ledisi show.

After each song performance, you were left to ponder the message of her music. Highlights included Joy (Ledisi stated this song almost didn’t make it onto Lost & Found), Knockin' (she repeated the first verse so the audience could really understand the song’s meaning) and Alright (according to Ledisi, she wrote this at the lowest point of her career).

At the show’s end, Ledisi offered tidbits of wisdom, including, “Leap out on faith. Fear stops everything. When you open the door of fear, there’s a blessing on the other side,” and “Be careful of who and what you allow in your personal circle, because not everyone deserves your presence. Love them from afar. Keep it movin’. Everybody can’t go where you’re going.”

The Floacist – Feb. 26, 2011, 330 Ritch, San Francisco

It still pains me that Floetry is no longer together. There are times when I wish whatever separated the duo could be resolved so they could reunite for at least one more album.

In the meantime, both The Floacist (Natalie Stewart) and Songstress (Marsha Ambrosius) have gone on to release solo projects, and Floetic Soul, the Floacist’s individual effort, was one of the best albums released in 2010 (although she didn’t have the benefit of great hype and publicity). I jumped at the opportunity to see her live in 2011.

The energy The Floacist exuded during her performance went well beyond the confines of the small venue’s walls. While it was February in San Francisco, her attire was more suited for Los Angeles in June. While she may not have been dressed appropriately for the weather, her personality showed she wasn’t bothered by the rain, cold and ever-present San Francisco fog. With close-cropped hair, she came to “perform for the seen and unseen.” And what a performance it was.

Not used to hearing The Floacist sing, I was pleasantly surprised that her vocals are actually really good. Beginning with Breathe – which is the first song on her album (and, as I often say when I absolutely love a song, ”it’s my cut”), you could tell there have been moments where she’s held on to the past longer than necessary.

But she’s breathing now.

The rest of the set included Forever, What R U Looking 4? and I Need You, which turned into a chant when she repeated  the chorus several times:“Be there when I need you/even if you cannot come when I call you/simply means that I can handle this without you/and know that next I see you/it will be just when I need you.”

Chrisette Michele – April 17, 2011, Yoshi’s Oakland

Encouraged to be true to herself through singer Erykah Badu's influence, Chrisette Michele opened her heart and soul during her well-attended performance. A gifted song writer, Chrisette peppered her set with background stories on her songs, the meaning behind If I Had My Way, which is about abstinence, not sex, traveling 65 miles to Brooklyn, NY to attend church when she was younger, pleasing her pastor and her admiration for Michael Jackson.

Some songs were her “angry” moments (Goodbye Game and Blame It), but she had some sweet ones as well (Golden and All I WAnt Is You). If you are in the Oakland, CA, area, catch her at the Paramount Theatre on March 17. Ticket price range: $23-$63

Vivian Green & Eric Roberson – May 26, 2011, Yoshi’s Oakland

Vivian Green hit my radar when she was a backup singer for Jill Scott. Since 2002, she's released three albums – A Love Story, Vivian and Beautiful.

Vivian is one of those artists that is a talented vocalist, but somehow, she hasn’t attained broad recognition. It’s such a shame because she can easily compete with Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and Ledisi.

I’m a newcomer to Eric Roberson’s music, so I went into this show not really knowing his music or what to expect.

I left a new fan.

This show started with the flip of a coin to decide which artist would perform first. Eric won and because I wasn’t familiar with the songs, it enabled me to really listen to his lyrics – and I was impressed with what I heard.

According to Eric, he attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., and discovered gogo music (he originally hails from New Jersey).  While there, he would go to McDonald’s and sing his order to “get the ladies.” I can only imagine how many numbers he received.

Vivian returned looking fabulous with her short hair, big gold earrings and a black one-piece jumpsuit. Going back to her debut album, A Love Story, she sang a jazzed up version of Addicted, and ended with Emotional Rollercoaster.

Trading the stage with Vivian, Eric returned with a song about dealing with someone perhaps he shouldn’t have been with.

Having changed clothes, Vivian returned with a funked up version of Wish We Could Go Back, from her Vivian album. She ventured into the audience during Gotta Go, Gotta Leave, and allowed some members to showcase their singing ability.

During Eric’s next set, he asked for audience participation in order to create a song with words provided by the crowd. Sexual chocolate, ambidextrous, whistle, expeditiously, difficult and design turned into a song about a difficult girl.

Vivian concluded the show with another outfit change and renditions of other artist’s songs. When she sang the first notes of Whitney Houston’s Saving All My Love, my mouth dropped open in amazement because she sounded just as good as Whitney did before the “crack is whack” period of her life.

Her performance of Toni Braxton’s Breathe Again, was stellar as well. Toni should be looking over her shoulder because Vivian’s version was better than the one I heard Toni perform in Las Vegas a few years ago.

Watching The Throne in a zone (and from nosebleed seats)

Note: While I know there is controversy on the use of the word “nigga,” I have chosen to write the actual word instead of saying “the n-word” or using hash marks or asterisks in place of the “igga,” as the word “nigga” was what was used throughout the show.

It’s a new year, but I have one more review I wanted to share before we were too deep into 2012.

In 2011, I attended so many great shows – Jill Scott, Anthony Hamiliton and Ledisi (saw all three twice), Eric Roberson, Vivian Green and of course Sade – so it’s only appropriate I would conclude the year witnessing two of hip-hop’s best come together to claim their throne.

I had been highly anticipating this concert as soon as it was announced. Having never seen Kanye, I was excited because I knew he gave his all on stage. This would be my third time seeing Jay Z, so I knew I was in for one hell of a show.

“You are now watching the throne/don’t let me get in my zone.” This simple line from the song Niggas In Paris is a great way to sum up the Watch the Throne tour. Jay Z and Kanye – teacher and student –performed two-plus hours of their hits, and the show was a fabulous reminder of why I paid more than $100 to get in their zone.

I started off in their zone well before the concert – a few weeks to be exact. As a general rule, I do not look at the set list of a show because I love the anticipation of what’s going to be performed. For this tour, however, I couldn’t bring myself to not know.

The reason? I needed to learn the words to as many songs as possible. Turns out, it’s quite challenging memorizing the words of 30-plus songs in a few days. I had every intention on learning a song a day, but life happened and I spent the night before and the day of the concert cramming lyric after lyric in my head.

I eventually gave up and focused on “my” songs, which included Kanye’s Power, Stronger and Good Life, and Jay’s Empire State of Mind, 99 Problems and Dirt Off Your Shoulder.

While I somewhat knew what to expect from the show (a friend of mine told me about her Chicago experience, and I did read a few reviews), hearing and reading about the Watch the Throne tour didn't fully prepare me for what I was to witness the night of Dec. 13, 2011.

From my nosebleed seats (which I was not happy about, but with ticket prices for floor seats double what I paid, I had to settle for what I could afford), I felt the energy coming from the megastars as they were lifted up, in the dark, on separate cubes (with Jay Z in the middle of the arena, while Kanye rose in front of the stage) during the opening of H*A*M. From H*A*M they went into Who Gon Stop Me and three other songs from their Watch the Throne collaboration.

Alone on the stage, Jay Z launched into Nigga What, Nigga Who; afterwards, the lights were literally flashing during Kanye’s Flashing Lights; the Jesus Walks’ performance brought Kanye to his knees, while the diamonds were in the air during Diamonds From Sierra Leone.

Alternating back and forth, they traded the stage and cubes, and flowed from one song to the next with ease. Kanye joined Jay Z during Hard Knock Life and left him during Empire State of Mind.

It was lights, lights and more lights. It was dark at the appropriate times (Kanye’s Runaway performance would have felt different if there wasn't dark). The images shown during various songs (Made In America, No Church in the Wild) gave the songs great visual appeal.

Speaking of lights, my favorite moment occurred when the beat for All of the Lights started and Kanye promptly stopped the song and delivered the following message: “Black people, we are going to give them a pass this one time,” referring to the first line of the song which states, “Something wrong/I hold my head/MJ gone/our nigga dead!”

Between Made in America and New Day, Kanye had a heartfelt moment when he spoke of the difficulties he’s faced the past few years and how he contemplated suicide. He went on to say that he was surrounded by people who brought him back from the ledge. You could tell it was genuine and Kanye was grateful for being alive, despite his many challenges.

I was surprised he performed the radio version of Gold Digger (taking “nigga” out of the chorus). While the majority of the crowd was not black, I found it odd he chose to do this seeing as though he didn’t remove nigga from the rest of the songs he performed.

Having the set list in advance, I knew the encore was Niggas In Paris. I also knew, through reviews and my previously mentioned friend, that the song would be done over and over and over again. According to my friend, they repeated the song eight times in Chicago.

Well, San Jose only had three encores. I could speculate as to why we weren’t privileged to be among those who had encore after encore after encore, but it won't change our encore count.

Jay Z and Kanye succeeded in making the thousands upon thousands throw up the diamond time and time again. They succeeded in keeping me on my feet the entire show, and as I posted on FaceBook, they succeeded in making me go H*A*M (Hard as a muthaf*****) the majority of the evening.

When you have a set list that contains more than 30 songs, you should anticipate leaving the show voiceless and tired. I was still feeling the effects of being in the zone the next day! I couldn’t get that song out of my head!

One more thing: While Jay wore his standard jeans and T-shirt, Kanye wore what appeared to be black leather leggings and kilt, with a T-shirt. It was, to say the least, an interesting get up.

Concert setlist: H*A*M., Who Gon Stop Me, Otis, Welcome to the Jungle, Gotta Have It, Where I'm From, Nigga What? Nigga Who?, Can't Tell Me Nothing, Flashing Lights, Jesus Walks, All Falls Down, Diamonds from Sierra Leone, Public Service Announcement , U Don't Know, Run This Town, Monster, Power, Made in America, New Day, Hard Knock Life, Izzo (H.O.V.A.), Empire State of Mind, Runaway, Heartless, Stronger, On to the Next One, Dirt Off Your Shoulders, I Just Wanna Love You (Give It Me), That’s My Bitch, Good Life, Touch the Sky, All of the Lights, Big Pimpin', Gold Digger, 99 Problems, No Church in the Wild, Lift Off, Niggas in Paris

Sade equals pure perfection

Three times.

That’s the approximate number of times I've seen Sade in concert.

And I remember each one.

The first instance, I was a concert newbie. It was 1990 something and I was still in high school. I vaguely recall the opening acts (Digable Planets and, according to my sister who attended with me, Boyz II Men). The main thing I recollect about that show? It was the best concert ever!

Up until that point, I think the only other concert I had attended was New Edition (that was 1989 and I only know this because I still have the program). Between Sade and New Edition, I don’t know who I loved more.

As a child of the 80s, Sade was one artist on constant play in my cassette player. As I reminisce, I wonder what I knew about love being a crime in the fifth grade, but back then you could catch me belting out Is It A Crime like the boy in my social studies class had mistreated my poor 10-year-old heart.

But back to the second time I attended a Sade show. It was Sept. 18, 2001 – The Lover’s Rock Tour (at this stage of my life, I kept concert stubs. Maybe I knew one day I would need to refer to it because blogging would be an important aspect of my life).

Seven days prior, hijackers changed America forever, so the mood was somber.

India.Arie, who was a relatively newcomer, opened the show. I was already in love with her, so to see both women on the same stage had me in heaven.

There was only one problem – I was on the lawn at the Chronicle Pavilion. Afterwards, I realized that I will never, EVER again sit on the lawn. Sade looked like an ant and jumbo screens weren’t that effective in translating what was really happening on stage.

You know what I remember most about this show? It was, again, the BEST concert I had ever been to! Sade's stage presence was mesmerizing; the show just left you speechless. There isn’t an artist out then (or now) that can put on a concert like Sade. Absolutely, positively NO ONE!

(Well, maybe Michael Jackson, but I’ll never know because, well, I didn’t get a chance to see him in action before he, well, you know.)

Ten years later, I still stand by that statement. Sade doesn’t need back up dancers; she doesn’t have to fly through the air or dance from one end of the stage to the other in four-inch stilettos.

She is pure entertainment just standing on stage, holding a microphone and singing from her gut. Sade has a stage presence that simply captivates you. Her moves are simple, yet fluid.

But they are enough.

Ten years is a long time for an artist to be away. Would Sade still have it? Could she still put on a performance that I had previously proclaimed to be the best shows I had ever witnessed?

Aug. 27, 2011 was I received the answer to those questions.

As I sit here listening to the playlist I created in iTunes of Sade’s setlist from her Solider of Love Tour, I feel chills running through my body once again – all these months later.

From the first beat of Solider of Love to the encore, Sade kept the crowd mesmerized and on our feet.

The best way to describe her vocals is to say they are pure perfection. She sounds exactly like the CD – and I do mean exactly – only 100 times better. The same can be said for the rest of the band. While Sade is the front woman, the band deserves as much credit as she does for creating such timeless music.

Besides the music, what makes this show so incredible are the stage transformations. I can’t even begin to depict what takes place in the background, so I won’t even make an attempt. I will say, Sade becomes one with the stage at a certain point and you’re left wondering how it’s even possible.

The setlist (see below) was a great mix from all albums. Lover’s Rock was the only song missing that I really wanted to hear. She blew the roof off the house with Is It A Crime (which just happens to be my all-time favorite Sade song. Remember the fifth grade?). When she hit that last note – whew is all I can say!

You know a concert is beyond anything you’ve ever experienced when you are conversing with a fellow concertgoer and neither one of you can put into words exactly what you saw, but you know you experienced something that was truly amazing and will never be forgotten.

So, it’s official. I still have yet to experience anything like a Sade concert (and I say this having seen A LOT of artists). She still has it and I just hope it’s not another 10 years before I get to have these warm, glowing feelings again.

One last thing, Sade looked absolutely stunning! At age 52, she blows a lot of these young girls out the water!

Favorite moment: Sade’s introductions of the band were cute and very personal.

Concert setlist: Soldier of Love, Your Love is King, Skin, Kiss of Life, Love Is Found, In Another Time, Smooth Operator, Jezebel, Bring Me Home, Is It a Crime, Love Is Stronger Than Pride, After All This Time, Paradise, Nothing Can Come Between Us, Morning Bird, King of Sorrow, Sweetest Taboo, The Moon and the Sky, Pearls, No Ordinary Love, By Your Side, Cherish the Day

 

Side note: While working on this blog, I did a search for some of the lyrics to her songs.

In that search, I came across the words on her own Web site and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that! Knowing the “right” words to songs is so important to me, so to have an artist post the words on their official site is fabulous!

Erykah Badu & The Cannabinoids journey out of this world

It’s no secret singer Erykah Badu marches to her own theme music. From 1997, when her debut album Baduizm was released, to last year when the filming of her video for the song Window Seat, generated tons of controversy, Erykah has proven time and again she is not afraid to march to her own drum beat.

She has said in the past she doesn’t subscribe to “groupthink,” defined by Wikipedia.com as, “a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people. It is the mode of thinking that happens when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints. The primary socially negative cost of groupthink is the loss of individual creativity, uniqueness and independent thinking.”

If she cares what other people think about her as a person, her style of dress or her music, it doesn’t show in her actions.

Erykah will never be labeled a pop star; she doesn’t use her body or looks to sell her music – and she doesn’t have to because her voice is enough.

While some may consider her weird, I have always defended her as just being different – in a good way. And that’s one of the many reasons why I absolutely love her. Out of all of the artists I listen to, embrace and admire, Erykah has been at the top of my all-time favorite list for quite awhile. She is someone I can relate to, respect and appreciate for not only being her own woman, but individual as well.

Which brings me to her “Welcome to the Human Brain and Science of Addiction” show Dec. 9, 2011 at The Warfield Theatre in San Francisco. Featuring her group The Cannabinoids, Erkyah took the crowd on a journey some may have found difficult to follow. Others, myself included, found the show to be typically Erykah – unexpected, eclectic and far ahead of anything we could have imagined.

According to Erykah, this group of individuals, “her brothers” as she called them, go way back to 1992 AD when Erkyah Badu was in a group called Erykah Free while also working in a coffee shop.

Erykah continued her story with a tidbit about the time when she was matriculating through college (Grambling State University), where her cousin sent her a cassette tape (remember those?) containing music that inspired her to write Appletree. Another band member supplied her with another beat, and she wrote On & On, the first release of Baduizm.

Consisting of all men (seven total), and Erykah, The Cannabinoids is a live band whose musical instruments consisted of laptops, turn tables, several keyboards and drums. There weren't clearly defined background singers, albeit some band members lent their voices to songs here and there. Just thinking about the lack of real musical instruments (and the model brain on display in front of the stage), I should have realized then the show was going to a new frontier.

Each song performance started out as the track you knew from the album, however, it then quickly evolved into the new Lowdown Loretta Brown, (Erykah’s DJ alias) remix. Sometimes challenging to follow, it still worked beautifully because the new arrangement gave the old some a fresh appeal.

The chopped and screwed Appletree flowed into … & On, where Erykah repeated the lyric “what good do your words do if they can’t understand you,” several times. I could be wrong, but I think she was sending a message.

Recognizing the “superstars” in the house (that would be the audience), she dropped Umm Hmm to a really slow beat, and mellowed out Didn’tCha Know, which had an almost gospel feel. Stating this was one of her favorite songs, Erkyah went on to say, “There will be a brighter day if you believe in brighter days. Believe it not because I told you; believe in yourself as I believe in you.”

Although she mixed A Tribe Called Quest’s Bonita Applebum into Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop), Erykah pretty much stayed true to the original version. Same goes for Danger.

When it was time for Window Seat, she toyed with our emotions by playing a few notes, stopping the song and then moving on to something else. The audience clearly thought she wasn’t going to sing Window Seat, but she eventually came back around to it.

Someone in the audience must have screamed something about Tyrone because she looked down, pointed and said, “No, you call Tyrone!” Erykah turned around to her band and they then launched into the track.

After a new song (several of which were performed throughout the entire show) from the forthcoming Cannabinoids album, and a funky version of Bag Lady, the night came to a close with the lyrics from the performance of NextLifetime, on her Live album.

There also were some comedic moments in the show with Erykah throwing out one liners such as “Money can’t buy me love, but it can keep me in some fresh shit.” When introducing Delta 9, the baby of the group as well as the drummer, the audience went wild when she said it was her son Seven. “I know ya’ll want that to be really bad,” she said through laughter.

Erykah then went on to say Delta 9 was age 17. Turning to him, she said, “That should get you a lot of pussy. You owe me.”

I think the best way to sum up this show is futuristic with a psychedelic feel. There may be a day when live shows don’t have actual guitar players, bassists or saxophonists, but laptops as substitutes. Let’s hope that future never happens because I rather like the sounds of live instruments and the voices of backup singers.

Footnote: It’s fitting that one of the definitions of Cannabinoids is “any of the chemical compounds that are the active principles of marijuana.” Causing feelings of relaxation, there were enough individuals enjoying the drug featuring Cannabinoids that I’m sure those that weren’t partaking couldn’t help but become relaxed. The air was so thick with marijuana smoke that I left with a headache, while Erykah jokingly (or not) asked if she could get some.