There’s no better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day then to go to a romantic concert full of love songs and crooning ballads. If you were in Atlanta at around 7:00pm, you were probably on your way to the Center Stage venue to snuggle up with your date while being lulled into a romantic dream by Jesse Boykins, Anthony David and the headliner of the night, Bilal presented by Shameless Plug.
Along with the love vibe, the evening was filled with lots of laughs as Detroit born comedian, Sean Larkins hosted the event. His jokes brought in a warm vibe that quickly got the audience comfortable and ready to enjoy the show.
The first act of the night was R&B singer, Jesses Boykins III who started off with a smooth cover of Andre 3000’s “Prototype.” Jesse and his band set the romantic ambience that was right for the occasion. He performed songs from his recent album The Beauty Created and even did some songs from his heart felt first album Dopamine: My Life On My Back.
The second act of the night was Atlanta born singer Anthony David who is known for his song “Words” which featured vocals from soul singer India.Arie. Anthony David is no amateur when it comes to performing as he had the crowd on the dance floor vibing to the music that him and his band produced. It was almost like a flashback to the early days when people would listen and dance vibrantly as if reliving a dream. Anthony David changed up his performance as he did a cover of rapper Lil Wayne’s song “Every Girl.”
Finally, the lights dimmed and Bilal’s band was already on stage warming up the crowd for the Philly born soul singer’s entrance. After the band marinated the crowed with their soft and dreamy spell, Bilal walked out on stage sporting his new look with his hair not being in his typical braids, but instead in a low cut box. He was also wearing a black blazer, with a brown shirt tucked behind a white button down shirt and a nice pair of fitted jeans that reached down to his shoes. Bilal began singing in his signature voice which captivated the audience as they danced to his sound. As his set went on, Bilal did everything from dance, to even jumping on top off an amp stack and singing before jumping down to continue his song. Bilal truly brought the electricity from his albums and transmitted them to a more electrifying show.
Bilal’s performance, along with that of Jesse Boykins III and Anthony David, really brought a soulful vibe to Atlanta as the eve of Valentine’s Day drew near. Although Foreign Exchange could not appear due to inclement weather, the show was still one to see especially if you were thinking of doing something special for Valentine’s. Bilal is currently working on his new album Air Tight’s Revenge which is set to come out some time this year. Jesse Boykins III and Anthony David are still touring as they bring songs from their recent albums to a venue near you.
Here are photos of the event shot by Kendrick Daye.
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Great footage!