J Events

J Events: Jojo Debuts New Song “I Am” at U Street Music Hall

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Jojo-U-Street-Music-Hall-Meet-and-Greet

At the start of 2015, I had 6 goals. Seeing (and meeting) Jojo was one of them.

Two years ago that may have seemed impossible, but after a year of leg work under her new label Atlantic Records, Jojo has finally been able to get her career back on track. The artist formerly known as translucentbrownsugar went into full promo mode in August 2015 releasing new music, embarking on a international tour and prepping a new album for 2016.

I’ll be honest, when I first heard her three new singles (the #tringle III.), I was so distracted by the direction of her music I didn’t fully appreciate the EP for what it was. (I had hoped she’d maintain the urban/r&b influence from her early years, and I didn’t hear that in any of the singles.)

There was no greater confirmation than hearing the tracks live that musically Jojo is exactly where she needs to be. As she has evolved, so has the music and ultimately she is still serving transcendent messages that her fans can connect to — maybe more powerful than ever before.

If her near-perfect 45-minute set wasn’t enough (I sang EVERY word from the front row), it was her encore performance that was the nail in the coffin. Jojo performed “I Am,” a new record that may be the title track off her upcoming album. It blew me away and really struck a chord.

Though I wish I could teleport you all back to U Street Music Hall, we will have to settle for the footage below. Check it out, and support her album when they set the release date.

#TeamJojo Out.

When one of your favorite artists has an appreciation of a cappella music ?. Jojo had a Ohio high school group join her for "Save My Soul," only wish the mics were working properly! If you can't get enough, check that out as well above.

J Events: WEEN Awards 2015 [PHOTOS]

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On November 18, 2015 WEEN hosted their 5th annual WEEN Awards in honor of outstanding individuals with a proven commitment to the empowerment of women worldwide. Despite the four-hour trip, I couldn’t pass up an evening of networking with my peers and leaders in the media and entertainment industry. Attendees included honorees Cari Champion, Rocsi Diaz, Marilyn Mosby, Tiffany Smith Anoa’i, Naturi Naughton, Regina Hall, and Faith Evans, as well as Kevin Liles, Judy Smith, Charlamagne Tha God, Angela Yee and Ja Rule. The event was held at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, N.Y.

Find out how you can get involved with WEEN here.

Read about the 2014 WEEN Awards here.

J Events: Andra Day at U Street Music Hall [VIDEO]

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Andra Day performed at U Street Music Hall on October 18, to promote her debut album Cheers to the Fall. Watch snippets from her phenomenal set including “Gold,” “Forever Mine,” “Rise Up,” “Mistakes,” and her encore cover of “Big Poppa.”

J Events: The First Landmark Music Festival – What Went Wrong, What Went Right?

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When the first-ever Landmark Music Festival was announced in April, I immediately took an interest in it’s development. The premise simple, but effective — in order to raise money to support the restoration and curation of the National Mall, The Trust for the National Mall would host a music festival to kick off a massive fundraising effort, the Landmark Campaign.

An ambitious idea, but one at the intersection of my interests–music and philanthropy–I had to see if they could put on a profitable, one-of-a-kind festival. But with so many music festivals crowding the music sphere, amongst many other obstacles, how would the Landmark Music Festival stand out, how would it succeed?

“It sometimes takes years of development to get these events into profitability,”says Bob Roux, Live Nation’s co­president of U.S. concerts. In the earlier days of U.S. festivals, it was easier for independent companies to build a festival on niche music, like jam bands or electronic-dance DJs. That’s not the case today. “There’s a lot more politics and a lot more investment to make something happen,” says Insomniac’s Rotella. (Rolling Stone, 2014)

The Cause

Landmark Music Festival kicks off [a] monumental national campaign to bring awareness and funds to America’s Front Yard — all in a single Festival weekend unlike any other. (landmarkfestival.org)

It’s All in the details

  • Free tickets, including VIP! Landmark provided MANY opportunties for people to win tickets, through their own campaigns and affiliates (i.e. radio) leading up to the event. Luckily for me, I won a pair!
  • Curated menu by Chef Jose Andres. Loved the mix of traditional and non-traditional “live event” food available, and the promotion the festival provided for local DC eats.
  • #MakeYourMark Tent. In case you were unfamilar with the events cause, this fun setup had interactive info about the mall and the cause, while also serving as a lounge, flash tat distributor, a phone charging station, and photo booth!
  • Space to breathe! The event was held at West Potomac Park, which had more than enough acreage for the reported 50,000 attendees to sprawl out. Of course crowds were tight directly in front of the stage, but you could easily take a few steps back to stand comfortably on the outskirts, with a great view of the performers.
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Fun in the #MakeYourMark tent!

“A” for Effort, “S” for Execution

  • Despite a great menu, long (long) lines for food and drink definitely put a damper on the day for many festival goers.

  • Inclement weather. When it began to rain (which was not forecasted), conveniently, all the tents, booths, etc. closed down a bit early, and the few ponchos available from a vendor were quickly distributed and unavailable. The majority of the crowd (awaiting Drake) were left to vend on their own.

 But really, it’s all about the music…

  • Wale. My first performance of the day, Wale definitely got things going in a hurry. His set was all about showing love to the city that made him. He may (or may not) have had one too many before the set — things got weird at the end of the set as he ran into the crowd, and sproadically changed the set list as he went along, but overall Wale’s performance, an Wale himself, were endearing, entertaining, and infectious.
  • Miguel.  As much as I love his voice, records he’s written, his first album — I never really connected with 2015’s Wildheart and wasn’t familiar with many of the songs he performed; from a few looks around at the audience, there were many others who didn’t either. Nonetheless, he performed his heart out and who doesn’t love his voice?
  • Drake. The below tweet pretty much covers it. 

 What I Want to See Next Year

As the Trust for the National Mall begins to plan for next year’s festival, they have to continue to cultivate an identity, specifically around the music. I was attracted to the bigger names (moreso based on genre rather than the mass appeal), however I had much less incentive to attend on Sunday which featured more niche acts.

From the looks of the attendance number (again, 50,000 people!) and the amount raised ($570,000), it seems the festival was a success! (Editor’s Note: I stand corrected, festival organizers had originally anticipated much larger crowds, and the profits were on the low end for music festivals, which often make millions. 10/5/15) Hopefully on to bigger and better — great to see the development of the DC music scene!

J Events: One Hell of a Nite Tour at Jiffy Lube Live

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Courtesy of @ChrisBrownOfficial.

Before the summer came to an end, I had to go to one last concert at Jiffy Lube Live. I have yet to see the second coming of Chris Brown (post-Rihannagate), and though I have tried to wait out what has turned into a (very, very) very long phase, my curiousity got the best of me. With all the turmoil and drama surrounding his personal life, could Chris still shut down a stage?

The Good: Chris performs his whole catalog; like the entire thing. He takes you back to the very beginning  — for many of us where the love affair first started — as if he knows he has to “get that old thing back.” Just as you give into your deep-rooted nostalgia * insert googly eyes* he races toward the present with hits like “Deuces” and “Strip.” From there it’s hit. After hit. After hit.

He didn’t do nearly as much choreography as I’d hoped, but when he did he SLAYED. My favorite moment was his dance break to “Hit the Quan,” everybody was out of their seats!

The Bad: Though I tried to go into the concert as objectively as possible (focusing solely on the music), as an entertainment critic, you can’t help but see the major effects his personal choices have had on his day job. The drinking and drugs have affected his range and it was odd to see him have so many stationary moments behind the mic, especially when he often curtailed any vocal acrobatics.  It didn’t feel intentional, but necessary for him to keep up with the pace of the show.

There’s no mistaking it — Chris is the greatest entertainer of our generation. His natural born abilities are unparalleled; and yet, he is still not ready to take on the full weight of that role — he just isn’t there yet.

 This tour is not Chris at his best, but if you’re simply looking for a fun summer night with friends you definitely get it with the One Hell of a Nite Tour.

J Events: Concert Review of Nicki Minaj’s Pinkprint Tour

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Courtesy of @nickiminaj.

When The New York Times published their review of The Pinkprint Tour, I was surprised by what appeared to be the article’s general sentiment:

Review: @NICKIMINAJ is at the helm of the best hip-hop tour lineup of the year http://t.co/d6Hqhze9T9 pic.twitter.com/m24VUqTfKB

— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 28, 2015

I’m glad I took the time to read the article, however, because it was a bit more nuanced than the headline would let on. I’ve pulled a few pieces of “subtle shade” from the article that really get at the truth of the matter:

What the NY Times said: In total, the lineup reflected Ms. Minaj’s many parts — tough, sultry, exuberant, colorful, exaggerated. In her own herky-jerky set, though, she was toggling among approaches: street-wise songs, saccharine pop hits, collaborations, collisions of all these. Ms. Minaj’s catalog is so varied, she has colonized so much turf in so many spaces, that unifying it under one umbrella is a challenge. (nytimes.com)

What they meant: Her set was all over the place. There was no real storyline or theme, which is ok I guess, but there was also no real flow. She would jumped from slow to fast, pop to mixtape content, old material to new. It didn’t feel spontaneous, it was just confusing. 

What the NY Times said: Often she’s rapping through a grin, striking a pose for the camera, but when she lets the facade down and focuses on the shape and pace of her words, she’s a bulldozer. (nytimes.com)

What they meant: She spent too much time “being cute” and not enough time really diving into the material of her songs. Nicki is know for her many personalities and characters, but she never gave you the full scope on any record she performed, only a taste. I don’t want to see you smiling and giggling during “Lookin’ ***.” Sorry, but no. 

What the NY Times said:Meek Mill sped through several of his blustery hits — a minute of one, then another, like a one-sided mixed-martial-arts bout. (nytimes.com)

What they meant: I had no idea Meek was going to perform in between Nicki’s sets, an interesting choice. They took far too much time transitioning between their sets and his first appearance was rather short.

When Meek finally came out he definitely brought the energy up, but he choose to speed through his hits and spent more time on songs that only hardcore fans would know, a mistake in my opinion. 

I know it seems I am being super critical of Nicki, but it’s only because I know she can come 10x harder than she did with this tour and the production and overall flow can definitely improve. [For example, I would estimate she spends at least 15-20% of the show trying to make it up and down her set stairs. Either she needs to put on some flats, or take some lessons from Bey, but girl, get it together.] She has the catalog, her stage presence continues to improved, and as a more established artist she has the budget to pull together a great performance, not just mediocre. I guess we shall see what the future holds, until next time.