Getting lost in the rhythm

Rhythm and blues singer, Daniel Caesar, graced the Red Marquee as a heavy rain was coming down outdoors. Fortunately for the audience, they had booked an intimate, indoor evening with one of the hottest artists in the music industry. The audience inside were with a doubt eager to see this performance and weren’t just escaping he rain as Caesar’s reputation has been red hot for a number of years already.

His reputation was stoked by well publicized collaborations with BadBadNotGood and even a personal show for Lebron James and his wife. If that weren’t enough, his model good looks have drawn legions of female fans, and the interest of the fashion industry, which may have something to do with his chameleon like transformation before the media, switching from dreadlocked crooner to clean shaven singer-songwriter strumming a guitar.

Living up to this type of hype is a tall order, and maybe too much for an ordinary artist who mines so much of himself, crafting songs that are intensely personal. With this in mind, you may never know what to expect when you see a Daniel Caesar show. The anticipation of the audience was palpable, and from the start, he had the audience hooked with soft vocals and light rhythms. Gorgeous red and pink and lights bathed the stage as he came on with songs such as “Cyanide”, “Love Again” and “Restore the Feeling”.

During the tune “Japanese Denim” he worked his charm for the full audience of fans assembled inside. In the background, a constant loop of images played, with the artist alternating between astronaut and boxer, a video beautifully shot and edited, befitting an expensive cologne ad. The effect transformed this large space into a more intimate venue, especially with his name layered over the video loop.

Caesar’s sound is mesmerizing in its rhythm and soul, inflected with a touch of R&B, as his lyrics carry a powerful messages about love. His band competently carry forth his vision on keyboard, drummer, bass and guitar. There were many musical arrangement changes, with him even going solo to the front of the stage to strum guitar bringing out his sensitive troubadour side.

Caesar has been knocked or his aloofness, none of which was evident in hi band though one could say he is simply cultivating such a style as he isn’t an artist to hold back anything. In a live setting, Daniel Caesar may not be the showman that has been featured in many videos, more of a reluctant balladeer who may tend to stand behind his music. But on a night like tonight with the rain falling heavily outdoors, it was cozy environment for everyone as the soft music washed over the audience and couples held each other and even kissed. Near the end of his set (about three songs before leaving the stage to be exact) he performed “Get You” off of his “Freudian” album, with everyone in the audience swaying and singing along along to the song that brought him instant fame and fans around the world.