Concert Review
Anthony Hamilton and Fantasia
Verizon Theater
Grand Prairie Texas
June 9, 2016
A cursory listen to typical radio playlists might lead folks to believe that true soul music is on life support and few true 'sangers' are left to revive it. But if you were at Grand Prairie's Verizon Theater last night, Anthony Hamilton and Fantasia served up plenty of rib-sticking Southern-fried soul, nourishing the cravings of over 7,000+ fans.
While the two trek across the country, the NC natives switch up the headlining order from night to night, so the first hour belonged to Hamilton, backed by a razor-sharp five piece band and crisp harmonization via his three background vocalists The Hamiltones. He opened with "Save Me" from his latest CD, What I'm Feelin', but it was more familiar like "Cool" and "Coming From What I'm From" that made dozens exit their seats and hover around the stage with outstretched hands and smart phones.
"Y'all have been rocking with me for a long time now, I appreciate you," Anthony said to fans, shaking hands, returning fist bumps and demonstrating pitch-perfect renditions of "Soul's On Fire," "Best of Me" and the beloved tearjerker "Charlene." Newer songs, such as the fiery "Amen" and the reflective "Still," were incorporated with elements from different artists, such as verses from Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" and "Adore" from the recently-departed Prince. Blues found its way into his repertoire as he poured angst into a call of action framed by sparks and plumes of smoke: "I'm my brother's keeper, I'm my sister's keeper.....stop shooting my babies!" The Hamiltones got their share of shine too, delivering high notes and adlibs that earned brotherly glances of approval from their namesake and, of course, their now-viral a capella version of Birdman's infamous radio show challenge, "Put Some Respek On It."
Fantasia Barrino struck the delicate balance between grand dame 'round-the-way-girl,' arriving at center stage on a lit staircase and surrounded by three background vocalists and her own five member band. The newlywed and mother of two filled her hour-long set with equal parts empowerment and entertaining, cutting up ("I had to get a lil' ratchet, I had to go a lil' hood....if you do that one good time I betchu' folks won't try you no more!") and killing the crowd softly with favorites like "Doin' Me," "When I See You" and a shattering rendition of the life mantra, "Lose To Win." Her skill set and warm, familial/BFF demeanor---she wasn't nicknamed "Baby Patti Labelle" by the diva herself for nothing---- inspired fans to cluster around the stage for pics and handshakes. In addition to hits like "Without Me," "Summertime," "Bittersweet" and a medley of "Ain't Gon' Beg You," "Two Weeks Notice" and the singalong anthem "Free Yourself," Fantasia paid homage to Whitney Houston via "I'm Your Baby Tonight" twerked through her version of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" and worked it out during mashups of 80s-era classics like "The Bird," "Nasty Girl," "In My House."
Her latest single from her upcoming July CD, "Sleeping With The One I Love," was sung as she was tailed by security and walked the aisles, giving high fives and posing for pics with ecstatic fans. "With all the stuff that's happened to me in this ugly game," she said emotionally, "I pray that God keeps me humble. I always let fans hug me.... I'm human Baby!"
Nearly as entertaining as the co-headliners was their non-billed opening act, Chicago comedian Kevin "Damn Fool" Simpson. His enthusiastically-rendered points on life, relationships, music and social media were chock full of expletives, but he hit home on with rants about the struggle to get paid ("Bootlegging is outta control, watch someone try to sell me a DVD of my own act as soon as I get off the stage"), social media ("Not everybody's baby is cute: I saw one so ugly I reported the picture to Facebook and they ended up in Facebook jail"), dating after 30+ ("One time I showed up and the lady was wearing a wedding dress, talking about, 'How this look?' I said, 'It looks like too soon!'") and how Father's Day is practically a national joke in itself: "On Mother's Day, there's flowers, sales on jewelry and everything. But on Father's Day, try going somewhere.....even IHOP is closed."
By Melody Charles