An interesting mix of musical styles made for mostly highs and one noticeable low for the St. Louis leg of Kem’s Intimacy tour Saturday night at the Fox Theatre.
Sound woes threatened to create a sour note, but songstress Ledisi proved to be a formidable force through her vocal and stage presence skills with a scaled down set.
Accompanied by an acoustic guitar and a single background singer, Ledisi managed to captivate audiences – plenty of whom who probably never heard of the rising R&B star – with selections such as “Higher Than This,” “In the Morning,” “Alright,” and “Going Through Changes.”
Ledisi even enlisted audiences to sing along as she paid tribute to Chaka Khan with a cover of “Sweet Thing.”
Her big talent made the 20-minute set seem especially tiny. However, it was refreshing to see an artist who has been flying under the R&B radar garner such praise and attention from a city known for being skeptical of unfamiliar faces.
Her opening segment indeed set the bar high; unfortunately the performance of Musiq Soulchild fell short.
In all fairness to him, he was a last-minute replacement. El DeBarge’s decision to return to rehab while in the throws of a major comeback would thrust Soulchild – who has earned the reputation for being a low-energy live act – into the mix.
Even the upbeat numbers like “Buddy” and “Just Friends” failed to get a rise out of the audience.
Vocal missteps, timing issues between the singer and the band ruined any opportunity for Musiq to offer a memorable performance.
He attempted to pull radio hits like “Teach Me,” “Love,” and “Half-Crazy” out of his bag of tricks to woo the crowd, but he never managed to establish a connection.
Every ounce of energy set up by Ledisi was lost in Soulchild’s shuffle by the time Kem was to take the stage – but it didn’t matter.
He was starting from scratch, but he had everyone’s attention from his entrance to the encore.
The curtain came up to expose a sexy, breezy island inspired set and Kem danced his way center stage wearing a navy blue ensemble. Backed by a band with pitch perfect precision, he brought the audience to their feet and kept them there as he performed a mix of music with a variety that seemed to stretch far beyond the three albums Kem has to his credit.
On his third visit to St. Louis in as many years – most recently in August – Kem has solidified himself as a favorite among locals thanks to the triple threat of his heartfelt lyrics, impressive stage energy and a band that bridges the two for a total package set.
Fans were eager to show their appreciation during a set that included “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Love Calls Your Name,” to more recent hits like “Stay,” and “Share My World.”
Because of his jazz and R&B hybrid delivery vocal style, Kem is most commonly compared to the style of Al Jarreau.
But anyone ( like those in the full house of the Fox on Saturday night) who looks and listens closely will take note that his arrangements, natural ability to draw people in with his storytelling and live shows can’t help but give him credit as an artist in his own right.
