Goapele visits Vonn Jazz Lounge

I'm getting higher and higher... Closer to my dreams! The name and music of neo-soul singer Goapele (pronounced Gwa-puh-lay) may be foreign to some but many have at least heard her song Closer. Nearly 10 years old (pointed out by the singer herself), this song is a timeless, classic. When I heard she was hitting up our city, I couldn't wait to buy tickets and hear her sing it. The show was slated for 9:30 pm but my homie KJ and I found ourselves waiting patiently for almost two hours before Goapele was finally ushered into the venue. Once there I think she indulged in some grub so we waited a short while longer. Thank God for good opening acts and a shared bottle of Moscato! We had great seats, so we got a view of Goapele as she scrambled to a separate lounge area at the front of the club. I immediately remarked on how beautiful and petite she was. She wore spandex-like pants, a jacket of similar material with faux fur around the collar and some super-high, sparkly, strapless, stilettos. She would have made my designer-friend Arthlene very proud but I was wondering- how long is she going to be able to stand AND sing in those?  I like fashion but I prefer comfort and should I ever fulfill my dream of being a jazz/lounge singer, I may be wearing hush puppies, but NOT crocs (insider). LOL! Oh! And did I mention her hair? Goapele had dreads when I first discovered her in 2004. But on this night she wore a glamorous, braided updo. Truly, she looked stellar!

But I digress- let's get back to the business of Goapele’s performance! When Goapele took the mic, the crowd was very hushed. I- however was pumped and couldn't wait! She opened her set with First Love from her second release, Change It All. Released in 2005, Change It All was a laid back cd. Awesome and mellow, I often heard it from start to finish in local poetry houses. I remembered instant remembered First Love and sang along like it was yesterday. She smiled at me and I sang back to her. Later, she remarked that she enjoyed people singing along with her and I was encouraged to oblige! I think KJ and I were among the few who actually KNEW any of her music. We both own her two cds. But besides us, very few sang along. That seemed a shame really… I’ll come back to this. Amongst other songs, Goapele also sang Love Me Right from the same cd. It was very upbeat and funky with an old Motown vibe and people began dancing in their seats. Her energy and smile were magnetic. She appreciated the local musicians who supported her set. At times she crouched and just watched them jam her music. I found myself wishing the lot of them would catch a break and end up on the road with her. Fingers crossed for you guys! As the show progressed Goapele sang three or four songs from her new cd, including recent release Milk and Honey. It was well received and I can't wait to go cop it.

Goapele is smart. During the show she realized two things. First, the crowd didn't really know her work AND second, she needed to keep them engaged. To manage this, she sang familiar songs by other artists to get the crowd involved. One of them- Nothing Compares to You (Prince, Sinead O’Connor for some of you). I often think- smooth and/or mellow when I listen to Goapele. But the girl can SANG. Not studio sing. But sing, for real, without help from runs or fancy acrobatics. Her voice was pure, strong, soulful and just all around - DOPE! I looked around and the crowd was finally on board! By the time Goapele got to Closer, the crowd was ready. She asked everyone to get up and dance and they did. More sang along. As the night progressed, she shared other new material. I don’t recall the titles but I liked each song. Time passed quickly and before I knew it, she was saying good night. I looked at my watch. It was barely midnight. I wanted more, but alas there was none. Overall, she gave a short (50 minutes) but great performance and set. She posed for photos afterward with those interested (including yours truly but not KJ) and that my friends’ was the end.

At some point Goapele remarked that she wasn't used to the quiet. Quiet equals NO ENERGY. I recognize that artists need that and that’s something we can work on in Columbus. I just hope that going forward, crowds are at least familiar with other artists so that in the future they won't be sitting there with a blank stare when they come to our city. I sometimes felt like I was surrounded by the Mii’s in my Wii system. Blink. LOL! Seriously though- we need to offer more than a polite clap after they wrap a heart-felt song! Truly, we want them to come but we simply must give them reason to return!

Supporting venues like Vonn Jazz is important on so many levels. We usually have to go to Cleveland or Cincinnati to hear talent like Goapele. This is very sad when you consider Columbus is the capital! Locally, we must support with our dollars, with our enthusiasm and by getting to know the artists material. Still, if I’m honest, the fact that Goapele started at almost 11pm was partially to blame for the lack of audience participation. When you sit for a long time, you begin to lose some of the zeal you had when you arrived. I'm not sure who was to blame for that bit of business (bad business) but if people to see a 9:30 show- that's when the show should start. I’ll even give you ½ hour.

On a happier note, I'm looking forward to more acts in the soul music line-up at Vons’s. Next up for me is independent artist, Amel Larrieux formerly of Groove Theory and currently an artist with Bliss Life Records. I’m a long time fan and she is amongst my top 3 singers. We are going with a much bigger group to celebrate my girl KJs birthday. When Amel comes, my friends and I will be some sang’in fools! We’ve already composed our wish lists for songs we hope she performs!

Finally I want to give a shout out to the local musicians who opened for Goapele, namely Adria Archie, C-Sharp and those who accompanied her- Next Level. They were all dope. Get out there and support your local artists’ people! They’re definitely ear-worthy!

Check out the pics! The first is grainy because she was getting flashed so much, I turned mine off. I just noticed in the second pic that not only are we both natural, but we both have dimples! Word.

This is Lboogie com'in at cha! ~Peace!