J*DaVeY WSG RenCen CoolBeanz & Ms. Nissa Rock The Elizabeth Theater

The Elizabeth Theater right above Bucharest Grill on Park & Elizabeth Street was packed with music enthusiasts of all genres. With the powerful lineup of Ms. Nissa, RenCen CoolBeanz and featured duo out of L.A., J*DaVeY, no one left the theater underwhelmed or unsatisfied. The concert was put together by The Heart Healers a promotion company in Detroit “spreading love through diverse expressions of art and culture”, and we got just that with the eclectic mix of talents on and off stage. Vendors were present from t-shirt company Detroit Snob, to Salika’s Dream Cheesecakes as well as hand-crafted jewelry and artwork.

The host for the evening was Detroit’s own Monica Blaire and she did a lovely job bringing her natural energy to the crowd and helping everything flow smoothly. Ms. Blaire made sure everyone was having a wonderful time and even came up with unique ways to distribute giveaways like asking for the first person to bring up a men’s size ten shoe. The first person Monica Blaire introduced to the stage was Ms. Nissa and her powerhouse soprano vocals wowed supporters and newbies alike. Her stage presence was precise and she didn’t shy away from going to the next level emotionally with her own music- something that is missing with a lot of artists. You could feel her love for her craft through every note and riff she sang and every sway of her hips and fling of her hair! Ms. Nissa performed original material and gave us all something to look forward to in forthcoming shows.

Next up was the “Pioneer of Alternative Hip Hop” himself, RenCen CoolBeanz who came out with a hoodie on to show support for Trayvon Martin and even spoke a few words about the justice rally he attended in our city. After the much-needed serious moment of reflection it was time to get the party started- the CoolBeanz way! With a full band to back him up, RenCen also had his guitar and rocked out with his shirt, tie and glasses. The Cool Nerd performed songs from his recent album Inspiration: My Last Album such as “The Beer Song”, where he finally won chugging a beer against a female which he noted he always loses to. There was also a special guest performance from Que of local rock band Final Cue on songs “Breath” and “Pressure, Diamonds and Muthafuggaz”, and Stryfe performed “Epic” with him as well. Mr. CoolBeanz was very interactive and engaging with his audience and warmed up the crowd very well, along with his DJ-ing sidekick, DJ Equad.

The crowd was finally hyped up for the main attraction which was the powerhouse duo, J*DaVeY, made up of singer Jack Davey and producer/ keyboardist Brook D’Leau. I was a first-timer to their music as well as the majority of concert-goers that evening but trust me when I tell you I became an instant fan (just add music)! For starters, the vocals of Jack Davey are a perfect blend of Gwen Stefani and Eykah Badu. Their collective sound reminds me of Prince with a Neptunes edge and a good mixture of Electronic, Alternative Rock and Hip Hop influences of their own. The facial expressions in the room where very identical to my own as Jack Davey electrified us with her stage presence and sonic soul-stirring melodies. The duo performed songs from their mixtapes, Boudoir Synema and Evil Christian Cop, such as “Quicksand” and “Fight The Daylight”. There were also a host of songs performed from their latest album, New Designer Drug, as well as songs from a 2008 album The Beauty In Distortion/The Land of The Lost.

The Heart Healers put together a grand event for us to enjoy and we hope they bring us more and that J*DaVeY comes back soon!

All Photos Courtesy of Edward Essex Photography