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The venue was a little weird for a hip-hop show (seated tables, "wine" bar) but not too weird for the grown and sexy crowd this show mostly brought out. The band worked the room like pros, casually inviting the audience to stand and dance, which I did the entire time.
The band all has super-chops, but they don't overplay the songs so they're still the songs, yet bring each jam to a climax. The use of the sampler, where in other groups it could cause the band to drag, always seemed to sit just right in the mix, so the songs all sounded authentic, not like a band's version on a sampled hip-hop song.
Speech, along with the band, did an incredible job of keeping the classics fresh, finding all the little iconic moments in the songs to expand upon in fresh ways. Keeping the audience involved in a huge variety of call and responses. Tasha LaRae brought powerful vocals that could soar above the live arrangements. Fareedah is a Goddess from another planet. Her dance and energy (and vocals) are like an adrenaline shot. Or maybe an adrenaline IV. The harmony/hype work with 5 vocalists was all on point.
And all the new songs, while not the majority of the show, were dope. And yes, Speech's vocal clarity (and writing) allow you to catch every lyric, new shit included.
So glad I went. I will see them anytime they're in town.
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