Schwaza.
An amazing occurrence that leaves you with a lack of words to express the gravity of the moment; exceptional, excellent, of high quality.
If there’s a word that could describe our evening of music at the Lyric Theatre on N. La Brea in the city of lost angels the night of October 12th, that would be it.
We were late to function, but lucky enough to witness BAGO blessing the audience with her sultry sonic seduction upon strolling into the venue. Perusing through jams from her debut 2012 gem Sunday’s Best, the rising R&B goddess conveyed how she is creating her own lane by blending ethereal and tender yet piercing R&B over industrial, airy instrumentals. The spirits of her cited inspirations such as Etta James and Amy Winehouse were quite alive in her vocals. She was cool, calm, and collected on stage. It was a treat to be welcomed by.
GOLF WANG’s own Mike G was in the building as the selecta of the night and followed her set by quietly stepping up to the DJ table and spinning an eclectic mix of warped raps, off-kilter instrumentals and classic bangers ranging from C&S’d up Dipset to the hybrid sounds of his own Odd Future gang.
The man of the night, Jesse Boykins III then stepped up to grace the stage and the hearts of the many young queens in attendance waiting to be serenaded. With a full band behind him (drummer, bassist, electric guitarist and a key player who also ran samples) he took us on a tour through Jesse’s world. High energy was the trip at first, following the upbeat tempos of songs such as those found on his latest dance-soul free-lease project, P.O.P. [Purpose or People]. Hair in the air and draped in glittering gold, the rising soul singer floated through the speakers with his definitive, lofty vocals that flutter into operatic-esque falsettos.
It was a packed house and everyone was moving. Women were groovin’, hands in the air, and even the men were two-steppin’, not afraid to take it there. Artists and fellow associates such as The Internet, Kilo Kish, and R&B vet Tank, were all also in attendance, showing love, swaying and adlib-ing to Jesse’s performance.
In between songs, he’d have us say one phrase along with him, “Schwaza.”
It didn’t slow down until the set reached a heart-piecing performance of his ballad, “Her Throne” (produced by Amsterdam beatsmith Full Crate) which sent the crowd into a trance. It also made clear, Boykins is a true singer and feels the music in his spirit.
By the time he brought the night to a close with his classics, “Amorous” and “Come To My Room,” among other tunes, women were fanning themselves, singing along and screaming for an encore.
“LA always gives me some of the best energy,” Boykins relayed to us backstage after the performance. After the love we saw in the crowd for this cat, we understand what he means.
If you couldn’t be in attendance, peep the photos and if you haven’t already, find his music and take a journey. If you’re into the new sounds of what soul is, he’ll take you there.
Shout out to Fox & Hound and Nu-Soul Magazine for putting together a great event.
Peace gods,
make each day beautiful.
All photos shot by Cali Grindz
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