By Odeisel

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Monica been away for a while and judging by the line around the block for Power 105.1’s concert, New York is very fond of Monica. Her recent appearance with Keyshia Cole at a recent awards show was only a morsel and fans were eager for a full show.

Good things come to those who wait and so in order to get to the main event the undercard served to frame exactly how much the current R&B field is missing talent to go along with presence.

Opening up was Teairra Mari who has also been gone for a minute. She hasn’t exactly had the luck of the Irish with her career but talent general supersedes anything when you’re talking about a live performance. Unfortunately, Teairra didn’t really give us much to work with.  She opened to a lackluster rendition of her first hit “Make Her Feel Good” that left the audience wondering whether she was lip-synching. Her set continued with her recent Flo rida ode to belligerent girlfriends “Cause a Scene,” and featured a lap-dance gone horribly wrong. The lap dance didn’t play too well in a female dominated venue and chants of “Monica! Monica!” filled the venue as if it was “Ali, BumaYe!” Teairra took it in stride and acquiesced cutting her set short.

More issues with laptop DJ’s occurred before former record executive Andre Harrell introduced newcomer Chris Jones, much to the audiences chagrin.  He gave it the good college try but in a venue with this audience hungry for Monica, and unwilling to try new stuff, he was almost doomed from the start.

Former B2K expatriates Fizz & Boog followed with a surprise performance of their new single. For such stage veterans they were pretty unrehearsed and lackluster, but for some in the audience the novelty of seeing them again, especially in light of the drama associated with other group members and the allegations attributed to their manage was enough to elicit applause.

Rich Girl took the stage next and truly appeared more burlesque than R&B.  There was an abundance of booty, a gang of weave, the obligatory lapdance (yea…twice in one show), and movements that would make anyone at the Pussycat Lounge make it rain. Think Destiny’s Child if Matt Knowles ran a strip club.

Finally we got to the star attraction and Monica did not disappoint.  Truth to tell she could have held the mic in the audience and have the crowd sing everything.  There was a true love for her and her material that just can’t be won without true talent and Monica’s down to earth realness.  Her voice is strong yet feathery, gliding in an out of ballads and heard over the screams of hundreds with minimal effort.  Her voice was near album quality and her rapport with the crowd was both endearing and a sign of a veteran that has been performing for over half her life.

There were no backup dancers, no elaborate light shows, or any gimmicks to take your attention off of her voice.  No elaborate costumes or dance routines to hide vocal deficiencies. Monica is a singer, plain and simple.  Her stage show was part testimony, part sermon, part love fest and it blended in perfectly. She ran through many of her hits such as “Angel of Mine,” “One of Those Days, ” “So Gone,” and “Why I Love You So Much” with so much heart that the audience gave her all they had. 

In a world of “entertainers” and strippers masquerading as artists, Monica is a throwback to a simpler time when it was about the music and a talent like hers would assert itself in any era. By the end of her performance, the crowd was eating from her hands and despite it being 2AM on a Monday, no one wanted to leave.

Shout out to Adam Lublin, BB King’s and the Power 105.1 DJs.  Another month, and another successful showcase, at least with the headliner.  Overall, the show was a microcosm of where present day R&B is.  There were overly raunchy performances, lackluster choreography, subpar blue-eyed soul, and fading stars.  However, if you sift through the noise and stay long enough, you will eventually find that talent, and you’ll be rewarded.

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Photography courtesy of KAR Photography