Concert Review: Alice Smith

As the lights went low and the announcer's introduction traveled through the speakers, it was time for us to get cozy in B.B. King Blues Club, ready for the whirlwind known as Alice Smith to take the stage.  Out she came wearing her fabulous form fitted mini, remarkably high gold heels, vixen red sparkly lipstick and freshly cut hair.  Accompanying all of the mentioned characteristics was a glowing, radiant and pregnant Alice Smith who was ecstatic to step onstage to the maddening applause of the audience members in the venue.  The show was billed as an intimate soiree with the singer and from the beginning, it was evident something special was in the making.

Alice commenced the show with "Break," an upbeat ditty about refusing to change pace for a lover in a relationship.  On "Martha" she projected clearly and effortlessly about the wayward girlfriend who is forever making unsuitable decisions in life. Keep in mind, the intimate setting consisted solely of Alice and her keyboardist.  This relaxed set allowed Alice to be even more comedic and the banter and small talk with the audience was up close and personal. The chilling and melancholy echo of "Go" was distressing, as it should be.  Fans were squirming in their seat waiting for Alice to sing more tracks from her upcoming album.  When asked when the release date was, Alice answered quite dryly and hilariously, "Please don't ask...call Sony."  That answer alone was priceless and had the whole venue in an uproar.

It would be easy to say everyone's favorite anthem from Alice is the laid back flow of "Woodstock."  Two-stepping and doing her little bounce, while her baby bump jumped along, was quite entertaining to watch.  When Alice broke into "Gary Song," she sang as though it was the last time anyone would hear it - with passion and fervency.  Both "Far Away" and "Forever Yours" had everyone's unadulterated attention. Eyes were fixated and ears were curled. Another new song, "Lonely Girl," echoed throughout the venue, rebounding off of walls and allowing everyone to attentively listen to the words and feel the warmth behind it.  Alice joked after how she actually forgot a few of the words while singing the song, so she was going to sing a song that she did know...yet she still fuddled playfully with the intro. From "Dream" on to "Moving Lights" it was a nonstop singing frenzy. During "Love Endeavor," someone in the audience called out "Shake that booty!" and of course Alice had to give in and give a little booty shimmy to satisfy the masses. "So Bad" was sung with a sense of unforgivable urgency, while the soiree came to a close with "Goody."

Anyone who has seen Alice Smith live should know what to expect.  Be ready for a night of comedy, vocals and plenty of raw emotion.  It says a lot about an artist when she doesn't take herself ‘seriously' and offers a down-to-earth facet of herself while performing. Alice's intimate soiree left everyone yearning for the new album, loving the old tracks a tad bit more and allowed everyone to share a moment with a new life and soon-to-be first time Mom. It was a special night indeed.

Ann Marie Collymore
http://www.soulafrodisiac.com/

.