Concert Review -Summer Block Party
I love intimate concerts at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater. It’s right off the Detroit River, and every show at this venue has always been a vibe.
The summer block party with Dru Hill, SWV, and Jodeci was no different. This show brought out all the aunties and uncles. I arrived early to grab my credentials and set up my camera. Everyone showed up with their grown and sexy colorful 90s attire, Jodeci tribute outfits, and then some. I even saw a guy with a FULL suit, and baby! I know he was hot, but he was sharp!
Dru Hill was the opening act and hit the stage with “In My Bed” the Soso def remix, and went straight into “Big Bad Mama” by Foxy Brown featuring them. It was a fun intro interlude. After that, they got straight into the fire hits and performed “Tell Me” ( I got a fire shot of them jumping), where everyone in the crowd was doing the choreography and nearly 3 feet off the ground. Along with other hits such as “Beauty,” “I Love You,” “ Never Make a Promise,” and "5 Steps,” to name a few.
On this tour, Dru Hill is celebrating its 25th anniversary and took the opportunity to reunite some of the members throughout the years. Sisqo, Jazz, and Nokio were joined by former members Tao and Scola and new members Smoke and Black. They performed about 17 songs showcasing each of their raw vocal talents.
The soul and harmonies were on point for all seven members on stage. I loved it when Tao, while performing “ 5 steps,“ made his way into the crowd and walked to the second level. Sisco paid tribute to DMX with their song “What these b****es want.” Dru Hill is one of the best R&B groups of our time, and I always enjoy their shows. The group visits Detroit annually, so make sure you catch a show.
Dru Hill closed their set with high energy as Sisco performed his hit solo single, “Thong Song.” Next up were the beautiful SWV (Sisters With Voices), Coko, Lelee, and Taj. It was the outfit for me! They rocked an all-black sparkly jumpsuit and rocked it well. SWV celebrated 31 years of music since their first album, It's About Time, in 1992. The captivating performance started off with “Can We," feat Missy Elliot. Their essence on stage screamed queens of R&B as they belted out their classic hits, and the fans belted them out right along with them. “So into you,” “Right here,” “Rain,” and “Weak,” to name a few. They had the venue rocking!
Lelee performed a cover of “How Does It Feel” by DeAngelo and brought a fan up on stage. A moment surely he will never forget. It looked as if he had hopes and dreams. Hopefully, he was able to collect a phone number. I also enjoyed Taj's cover of “Heard it All Before” by Sunshine Anderson, Coko's performance of her single “Sunshine,” and their group cover and tribute to Patti LaBelle with “If Only You Knew.” The backup dancers did their thing as well. All in all, the performance was great.
The DJ kept the party going after SWV left the stage and got the crowd amp for Jodeci. The venue was packed inside and out, even with multiple boats sitting on the water. It was a sold-out show, and I could barely make it through the crowd with my camera. (Y’all know how y’all cousins like to make their own general admission seats). The bad boys of R&B, the cronin kings themselves, DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo celebrating 32 years hit the stage, and all the aunties AND the uncles went absolutely ape s**t. This reaction surprised me because, for me personally, it is Dru Hill; I’m picking Dru Hill every time as far as the best R&B male group goes.
Regardless, Jodeci came out on that stage, and you could feel the tingle in your spine from all the screaming. They started us off getting straight into the fire with “X’s we share,” “Come & talk to me,” “Stay,” “Love you for life,” and “Forever my lady.” By that fifth song, I barely had a voice. I looked around, and the crowd was singing and dancing with all their heart. I saw Uncles doing full choreography and singing with souls as if they belonged right on stage with them. If you know me, you know I got quite the laugh out of watching this, but I loved the energy. My only concern with their performance was that I felt it was shorter than the other two, and I would have definitely liked to hear a couple of joints from K-Ci and Jojo’s solo project.
The vibes of every performance were smooth, chill, and sexy. My head was nodding, my fingers were snapping, and when I wasn’t working, I FOR SURE was singing at the top of my lungs. This show definitely made you feel like you were at a summer block party in the 90’s.
