Seattle Soul - A Tribute to The Legendary Marvin Gaye - The Review.

Last Night the Hard Rock Cafe was rockin! Seattle Soul was a wild success as the Cavern Lounge was filled to capacity.  It was my first experience in the Cavern Lounge at the Hard Rock, the upstairs hideaway where private parties can shake it loose on any occasion or reason.

Seattle Soul was one of those occasions. The energy was palpable last night, as the crowd begin to filter in to the lounge. I wasn't sure what to expect. There was a nice diversity to the attendees, young and mature (old is a state of mind), it was definitely a homegrown crowd. During the course of the night the room was packed, As some of the early performers made their contribution to the evening, folks came and went in support of their favorite

The event hosted and produced by Empathy Records had it's hiccups but nothing that distracted from its main mission which is to highlight the vibrancy of Soul music in Seattle.  Wow, done in spades! The highlights rom the evening were the performances of Dice, Big World Breaks, Michael Wastman and Darrius Willrich.  The reception given these artists was a reflection of the nights energy.  Lady Dice was spot on with "Flat Tire". Her intonation, and projection reminds one of Sade, yet a full head of steam beyond the melancholy nature of Sade's music. The infusion of hip-hop is the game changer for me. Dice comes at you level headed, full of emotion and in full control. She's a singer ready for a much bigger stage.

Big World Breaks was well received. As their lead singer Kimberly Nicole said, "its a big production" two rhythm guitar players, two saxes, and a lady who played trombone (I'm in love! LOL) as well as Aaron Loud (leader) on drums and a guy on congas. All of this to turn the lounge in to a session heavy on rhythm and vibes. Their reception was notable as the crowd let loose as they broke into one of their original pieces, and their performance of the Marvin Gaye piece "Closer To Us" held the crowd in sway.

Michael Wastman's appearance on stage was what many in the crowd has been waiting for. It was clear from the moment he began to croon that the state of arousal of his women fans was high and with good reason. Michael treated the audience to two songs, first "I Can't Believe" and "Got to Give It Up!" Give it up he did, with a performance that belies the enthusiasm for which he was received. Michael Wastman is one very funky artrist, he is another Seattle star ready for a bigger stage.

Darrius Willrich is Seattle's sophisticated soul. His rendition of "Get Down To This Loving" caused the room temperature to rise as he captured the attention of the remaining audience. Darrius showed why his fans are the most loyal and ferverent.  

If I failed to mention any of the performers by name to be fair, it was because at times I felt the sound coming from the stage didn't meet my expectations with regard to quality. I can't imagine how difficult it may have been to make everything just right during the performances, so let's just chalk it up to the hiccups that come with producing a show with so many different voices and performance demands.  Kudos to Tiffany Wilson for her hosting efforts and her nod to Whitney with "I Wanna Dance With (Somebody Who Loves Me)" Tiffany could be Whitney's doppler-gangerfrom her voice right down to the way she looks.

I am looking forward to the next Seattle Soul Event coming 5.14.12! Stay tuned!