Mint Condition at Medusa ClubDallas
October 4, 2013
It was hard to tell which of the two was more polished: a newly renovated venue in downtown Dallas or Minnesota's mega-band, Mint Condition, when they performed for an enthusiastic near-capacity crowd of thousands at the Medusa Club late on Friday night.
What was heard and witnessed by the over-30 crowd in attendance was unspoken synergy, energetic showmanship and dozens of old and new hits, conveyed with verve despite the limits of the narrow stage: arms pumped and shoulders rocked as Mint Condition launched directly into 7's retro-fitted funk jam, "I Want It," but female fans swooned and couples fell into slow-dance mode after hearing "Who
Mint Condition at Medusa ClubDallas
October 4, 2013
It was hard to tell which of the two was more polished: a newly renovated venue in downtown Dallas or Minnesota's mega-band, Mint Condition, when they performed for an enthusiastic near-capacity crowd of thousands at the Medusa Club late on Friday night.
What was heard and witnessed by the over-30 crowd in attendance was unspoken synergy, energetic showmanship and dozens of old and new hits, conveyed with verve despite the limits of the narrow stage: arms pumped and shoulders rocked as Mint Condition launched directly into 7's retro-fitted funk jam, "I Want It," but female fans swooned and couples fell into slow-dance mode after hearing "Whoaa," "My Dear" and "So Fine." Bassist Rick Kinchen thanked fans for years of sold-out stints across the country and when front man Stokley Williams promised to return to Dallas "as often as y'all come out to support," the roar of approval was nearly deafening.
Whether it happened to be a first-ever show or an annual event, fans were treated to the highlights of Mint Condition's enviable catalog, including spirited renditions of "U Send Me Swingin'," "Girl Of My Life" (which culminated in the highly-anticipated drum-off duel between Williams and Brandon Commodore) and a mesmerizing medley of 90s-era gems, including "Forever In Your Eyes," "If You Love Me," "You Don't Have To Hurt No More," punctuated with Williams' boneless dance moves and awe-inspiring vocal agility. No matter what the quintet performed---from the cover of Barry White's "Playing Your Game Baby," a reggae-infused version of 1996's "Sometimes" or the verse-for-verse crowd sing-a-long, "Nothing Left To Say"---loud screams of "YES!" and "HURT em' y'all!" filled the venue throughout their hour and half long set.
The last few years have been especially-fruitful ones for the Minnesota-based musicians, thanks to increasing exposure via TVOne's Way Black When, last season's highly-rated episode of Unsung and a long-overdue Grammy award for "Not My Daddy," a collaboration with Kelly Price. So during the wee hours of Saturday morning, O'Dell, Lawrence El, Rick, Jeff and Stokley not only moved the crowd, they demonstrated the consistent levels of persistence, passion and precision required to earn their loyalty, traits that will keep them adored and in-demand for years to come.
By Melody Charles
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