After the somberness of last week’s storms, some gathered at The Pageant to sing along with friends at the “We Love R&B” concert. The show featured hip hop and R&B favorites Jacquees and Dej Loaf as well as several special guests. Hosted by Jarrett “J Barzz” Buford, the Streetz 105.1 radio host, “We Love R&B” was presented by Liquid Assets, World Class Promotions and Vanessa Townsend.
Fans sang along to hits like Jacquees’s “B.E.D.” and Dej Loaf’s “Try Me.”
But several opening acts created a vibe before the headliners hit the stage. Florida native Seddy Hendrix was among them. He took the stage showing love for St. Louis. He wore a blue trucker hat with red STL patches on the side. His fans, in sporty glam looks, vibed along as he rapped the intoxicating lyrics of “Lowkey”, a song that samples SWV’s “Weak” – and perfectly blends hip hop and R&B. His set included club bangers like “45” and slow jams like “Body 2 Body,” a seductive R&B song featuring T- Pain. He finished his set with “Monday Thru Sunday” bringing the concert back to hip hop.
J Barzz and DJ Dirty Bird took the stage to continue the hip hop energy, playing Young Dolph’s “Preach” and the St. Louis classic “Mob Out” by Koko C’vere. In the midst of the partying the host stopped and comically said, “Wait, this is supposed to be R&B!” The DJ switched to “Love All Over Me” by Monica then Ella Mai’s “Little Things” setting the tone for the next act.
Ann Marie then took the stage in a black fleece cropped sweater on top of a white long sleeve shirt, also cropped, with a mini skirt embellished with jewels and gold chains with furry, white, calf high boots. Though she was dressed like a pop star, the loss of her most trusted security guard – EL Pancho – affected her performance.
Her fans wailed along as she sang “Different” and “Unlove You,” and documented the moment on their social media. Marie then stopped to share the loss with her fans. She broke down in tears and was prepared to leave the stage after being overcome with emotion. The constant cheers of her fans reignited her will to perform.
She then sang “Pain Never Looked This Good” through tears – which gave the song a new meaning. She softly smiled while performing “Handle It as she soaked in the crowd singing every lyric back to her. Her portion of the show concluded with “Act Right” and “Secret.” For her finale, she joined the crowd and sang just inches away from her adoring fans.
DJ BG, a world touring DJ who has worked with heavy hitters like Fabolous and Rich Homie Quan, took over the turntables and introduced the first headliner of the night.
He began to play Dej Loaf’s chorus on Kid Ink’s “Be Real” then “Running Through My Mind.” The crowd jumped to their feet with excitement. Dej Loaf then entered the stage wearing a white t-shirt, pulled tight and tied in the back – cropped just enough to show off her flat abs. She also wore white sweat pants with the cartoon image of two figures. One of the figures appeared to be good in blue, the other evil in red, with a matching red and blue balaclava.
She emerged rapping the lyrics to “Desire.” She moved across the stage with intention as the flashes of cameras illuminated the stage. When she followed up with “Hey There,” the audience was so enthralled that they sang the lyrics with their eyes closed. This flowed perfectly into “Me U & Hennessy” that she sang under a rippling light show of orange and blue.
Dej Loaf amped the energy back up to typical hip hop form with “Back Up,” a track that features fellow Detroit native Big Sean. Her set concluded with her club classic “Try Me.” Fans belted out the lyrics as they recorded themselves and the stage. Some dangled over the balcony to get a closer angle.
“King of R&B” Jacquees closed the show. He took the stage dressed in black leather pants, with a black t-shirt and a dark gray fisherman vest that were both removed by the end of his set. Two male background dancers – also wearing black – joined him onstage. He started his set singing his iHeartRadio hit “B.E.D.” and quickly transitioned into “Your Peace.” Jacquees’ meticulously hit every beat.
“Inside” and “Ocean,” a song by TK Kravitz that features Jacquees, were performed under colorful strobe lights. The dancers left the stage while he performed his verse on K CAMP’s “What’s On Your Mind” and “You Belong To Somebody Else,” a song that features both Jacquees and Dej Loaf.
They returned for “Feel It”, moving across the stage seductively and continuing these moves for “Come Through”. The audience mirrored Jacquees’s energy and also danced seductively side to side with their drinks in the air.
For his final song he lowered the lights and the stage was illuminated only by the flash of cell phones. He then began to croon the words to “You.” Men turned to their ladies and serenaded them with the affectionate lyrics of this song. It played on while the voices of the audience filled the room. Jacquees finished the song by reaching out and singing to fans at the edge of the stage before he and his dancers bid the crowd farewell.
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
