KBev Photography : Events : Concerts

Concerts Galleries

VaShawn Mitchell, Aleya James, and Lyfe Jennings (Sep 12) : First off, if you like what you see here, please share the link! Thanks... Now, on to the gallery...

Day 3 of AFA '12, I stopped by to see VaShawn Mitchell and Aleya James on the main stage. Aleya was on first and did a really nice job singing her original songs and covering some classics. If she's on stage near you, you should go check her out. (@AleyaJames)

VaShawn Mitchell was the evening headliner, and he bought some energy and patience to the stage as the sound guys had some issues throughout the set. He was gracious towards the crowd for the support and he "held church" at the Main Stage in Washington Park. Follow Mr. Mitchell @VaShawnMitchell

NOTE: All VaShawn's pics are first, then Aleya's... (in case you were curious about the order)

These photos are copyright by KBevPhoto. If you use them, please credit accordingly. Thanks.

VaShawn Mitchell, Aleya James, and Lyfe Jennings (Sep 12)

Jazzapalooza (Aug 12) : For the 3rd year in a row, Trinity UCC brought Jazz to the south side for Jazzapalooza (AKA "Ravinia on Concrete") Well over 1,000 people enjoy spoken word, jazz, dance, and fellowship for a great night. Here are my favorite photos from the night. You can get a link to the full unedited set on the Facebook page.

The concert was free, and so are the photos... Enjoy.

Jazzapalooza (Aug 12)

AFA '11- Bootsy Collins & Roland Brown's Merchants (Sep 11) : Welcome Funk Nation. Hope you enjoy the pix... Don't forget to check out the Atomic Dog himself from Chicago '09 here: http://tinyurl.com/3jg45me

Day 2 of the this year's African Fest had Bootsy Collins as the headliner. His intro was classic and his singers took the stage first. They were excellent all night and each got their moment to shine and didn't waste it. I will let the photos speak for themselves. Ms. "Candy Yams" was a popular subject for the media section shoot photos from the front.

Bootsy was full of energy on stage and even found time for 3-4 wardrobe changes. While he was in the back every member of his band nailed some funkdafied solos that had the entire crowd amped up on a rainy night. When he ended the show by going off stage and into the crowd it was the highlight of the night for the hundreds of people that stayed until the end. Props to Bootsy Collins for making the night a memorable one.

I didn't get too creative with the captions, but hope you enjoy the pix. Don't forget to LIKE the Facebook page.

NOTE: These images are not for sale (unless it's OK with the man himself).

AFA '11- Bootsy Collins & Roland Brown's Merchants (Sep 11)

AFA '11 - India Arie (Sep 11) : The headliner on Monday night was India Arie. The crowd was thrilled when she walked on stage after a delay and she showed them a lot of love. Knowing she was pressed for time, India threw her set out the window, avoided the self-indulgent chit-chat and got right to work. She opened with Video and played non-stop for the whole hour. It was refreshing to see an artist just share their art and leave it at that. Too often, acts ignore the fans and pretend like we are there to hear them ramble and goof off. Not this night.

India made it clear: "We don't have much time. Sorry we're late. Let me get right into this. I'm not going to talk, I'm just going to play for you all" (or something like that). If you weren't a fan before, you would have been after this performance.

I decided not to caption most of these. India looked great and sounded better.

AFA '11 - India Arie (Sep 11)

AFA '11 - Al B Sure, Christopher Williams, Jon B, and Chico DeBarge (Sep 11) : The Annual African Festival of the Arts (AKA "The Best Festival in Chicago") got off to a strong start this year with Chico Debarge, Christopher Williams, Jon B and Al B. Sure. The only issue was that they started almost an hour late and literally turned off Al's mic during his set. From what I could tell there was no reason to make people sit and wait, and they clearly wanted him to sing some other hits (e.g. the verse from Secret Garden, Rescue me, and others). In the end, it was a fun night of "Light skinned brothers" and the crowd enjoyed it.

Chicago DeBarge got it started with a good set. I didn't know much of his music, but the crowd did. He has a lot of energy and knew how to work the stage. I don't know if he played the keyboards, but 3-4 times he sat down and clipped his mic into the stand. Then he'd do something for about 7-8 seconds and jump back up to sing. I kept waiting for the brother to bang out some soul on the keys, but it didn't happen. He played his part and got the crowd very warm.

Christopher Williams came out in a suit and shades, just like he did back in the heyday of New Jack Swing (mid 90's). Of the 4 guys, he was the only one who had some serious pipes on his albums. It was funny to see him step out GQ and immediately take off his jacked and untuck his shirt. A few songs in, the shirt came off and he finished in his tank top. He did a lot of his hits (not all of them) and even did a nice gospel song. While his vocalists carried the tune his gave his testimony about being a Christian. It was nice to see a brother not ashamed to admit it. At 44, he can still sing and, judging from the reactions from the ladies in the crowd, he can still make 'em scream.

Jon B came out with a lot of attitude (in a good way) and showed why he's an entertainer. He hit all the poses and postures of a polished stage performer. He did the extended version of his song that had me wondering how long it was going to go. In the end, it ran a solid 8-10 minutes, then he left the stage. That's right. One hit = One song at AFA. People really enjoyed his set. The only odd thing was this weird "hip-thrust" dance move that he kept doing. It looked more like a spasm than something that got the crowd hyped up. Regardless, nice work.

Al B Sure came out and had me a little worried. As much airtime as he took on my slow jams tapes in college (yes, I said TAPES), he wasn't the strongest vocalist (unlike Christopher Williams). At a show like this, you always hope that the older artists don't get delusional and do things they shouldn't. Props to Al B for staying in his zone. He work all black and had a nice set of background vocalists (including his son). He didn't strip down and he didn't try to oversing his capability. More importantly, he brought Tyrese to the stage and did some other stuff to get the crowd into his songs. People were pretty mad that he didn't get to finish his set though. I also give him props for saying that he was performing after losing 30 pounds. He still wasn't in game shape, but he's a owrk in process and not ashamed to say it out loud.

AFA '11 - Al B Sure, Christopher Williams, Jon B, and Chico DeBarge (Sep 11)

Jazzapalooza (Aug 11) : I made it to Trinity's 2nd Annual Jazzapalooza this year. I was amazed at the crowd when I arrived during the Spoken Word artists - the music was still nearly an hour from starting. THe parking lot was full ... of people. It was a perfect day for an outdoor concert and I'm already looking forward to next year.

The level of talent was truly outstanding, although I'm not sure we saved the best for last. One of my favorite artists from the Sanctuary Choir, Angie, was early in the set. She was the only artist to give an encore as the crowd (led by a guy we all know) insisted that she perform one more song. Afterwards, another talented vocalist, Ms. Baby Doll, took the stage and was on fire.

The livest act of the night was Ms. Taylor Moore. The comparisons to Sheila E. probably bore her, so I'll skip it. Instead, I will just say that she brought more energy and "fun" to the stage than anyone on the night. At a (relatively) young age, she is a great entertainer, not just a musician. Learn more about her here: http://www.soultonecymbals.com/ArtistDetail.aspx?ArtistID=418 You can follow here @mooretix on Twitter. If she's on stage near you, you need to go see her.

I tried to caption everyone's photos with their names. Feel free to email me for the ones I missed.

You can see the full 350 photo gallery online too. The link is on the Facebook page (it is unedited). I will post the link on the wall there...

If you performed and want copies, let me know... For this one, TUCC made the event free, so the pix are too. If you want a high res copy, make sure you change the "size" before you save it... Enjoy...

Jazzapalooza (Aug 11)

Jessie Palter @ Mayne Stage (May 11) : Jessie Palter and Alter Ego took the stage after I missed Kenya open the night. With a strong voice and a passion for "Pop Music" she put on a great show. Her band and her duet were both very nice surprises for the evening. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the night. The rest of the photos (unedited) can be access through the kbevphoto facebook page.

Jessie Palter @ Mayne Stage (May 11)

Jessie Palter and Alter Ego took the stage after I missed Kenya open t ...

Updated: Jun 08, 2011 6:36pm PST

Kenya (Aug 10) : Live music is always good (well, almost always). However, it's always better when a friend is performing. Here are some pictures of Kenya MJ and her band. They put on a great show at the Homewood Music Festival in the south 'burbs. In addition to some original tracks, she did her own rearrangements. You can check her our at http://www.kenyamjmusic.com/ and hear some of the "Starting Over" album.

The band included: Ms. Jaime Woods (vocals), Andrew on Bass, Chuck Lacy on Drums, and Terrell on Vocals, Keyboards, and Guitar (!).

The guy at the end was Matthew Graham Bailey. I had to include a few of him b/c he was literally a 1-man band. He held it down before Kenya.

Support the hobby. Order you prints 8-)

AFA '09 - George Clinton (Sep 09) : George Clinton was the African Festival's 2009 headliner. He put on a great show and seems to be enjoying himself quite a bit at age 68.

It was interesting to see that the elders in the village didn't mind his foul language as much as they did during the hip hop set the previous day. Go figure.

After the show, I had a chance to speak with some of the band. Consistent with other artists I've seen in CHI, they were all really gracious and down to earth folks. Cool. If you want the link to the other 300 photos, email me.

I had some trouble identifying all of his band members, so if you have the missing ones, please email me or comment on the photo. Thanks!

AFA '09 - George Clinton (Sep 09)

Earth, Wind and Fire (May 08) : The finale of a three day meeting on the Big Island of Hawaii was an outdoor dinner and concert by Earth, Wind and Fire. After not shooting much during the trip (I was actually in meetings), I took about 200 photos during the show. Here are a few favorite 30 or so. A few other thoughts:

I did my best to identify the band members based on numerous google searches. I could not get the woman who was our promoter/ point person to give me the names because she claimed she'd "get in trouble". Mind you, Phil Bailey introduced them ALL during the show, I just didn't have a pen. I didn't realize playing in EW&F was the equivalent of being an undercover CIA agent. She seemed relatively clueless, and wouldn't even let me ask the band manager. No good reason, I guess she's just like that [insults deleted]

During the "meet and greet" after the show, Phil Bailey essentially tried to hit on my wife (I'm only 1/2 kidding). I guess he's still in the '70s. More power to him.

Earth, Wind and Fire (May 08)

AFA '08 - Ms. Rachelle Ferrell (Aug 08) : Let start it this way: Rachelle Ferrell is the most talented singer I've ever heard.

Rachelle Ferrell blessed Chicago with another great concert this year. She was funnier than ever and talked to the crowd like we were just 2-3 people in her living room. She had been sick in the days leading up to the show and used a nasal inhaler, tissues, and all kinds of stuff througout the show - and clowned around the whole time while doing it.

She did a few songs that had most of the crowd wiping their eyes - including a tribute to Bernie Mac. She also did some songs praising the Lord. The scat version of Blackbird was amazing. Lastly, the facial contortions were certainly in effect.

I took well over 200 photos from up close, thanks to my media tags. Here are my favorite photos from the night.

AFA '08 - Ms. Rachelle Ferrell (Aug 08)

AFA '07 - TUCC Women : The Trinity United Church of Christ Women's Choir opened the Main stage on Labor Day at the African Festival of the Arts in Chicago. I took over 100 photos of my home church's Women's Choir. Here are a few favorites.

Please let me know, in advance, if you would like to use these pictures in any publication. Consider them copyrighted. If you want a link to the other photos, contact me at the link above.

AFA '07 - TUCC Women

AFA '09 - Ahmad Jamal, Soukous Stars, Booker T. Jones, and Julia Huff : Over the course of the weekend, on the main stage, a lot of talented performers shared their craft. Here are 45 of my favorite photos from those shows.

Booker T. Jones was an interesting performer. He wasn't the most animated man on stage, but he was clearly passionate about his music. The good news is that his band was pretty colorful. This was especially true of his bassist who had ink all over. Although his music wasn't my style, he was great to hear.

Julia Huff had a great voice, although I had never heard her sing before. On the downside, she used her voice to sing covers of other artists' songs. On the plus-side, she sang many of them as good (or better) than the original artist - including a Jill Scott track, which says a lot!

Ahmad Jamal was nice on stage. That is a smooth man right there. The best part of his Jazz set was that I could take my earplugs out for a night. He had a lot of fun on stage. A while back I saw Ben Vereen perform in Wicked. Everyone else on stage was "acting" and Ben was clearly in his element, is was like watching a master perform. Ahmad had that same air about him.

Lastly, the Soukous Stars were probably the most entertaining act of the weekend outside of Mr. Clinton. Their two dancers, Jessica and Maria, were fantastics and really got the crowd into the show. The lead sing showed his stuff too, and must have been reliving a past life on stage. He was an intesting contrast to Maria and Jessica, but to his credit - they all put on a great show!

AFA '09 - Ahmad Jamal, Soukous Stars, Booker T. Jones, and Julia Huff

AFA '10 - Mike E & Afroflow, Bobbi Humphrey : This Labor Day weekend, we decided to make a family road trip so I didn't shoot the AFA like I normally do. Truth be told, once they dropped the hip hop stage and serious headliners, it got a lot less interesting anyway. However, I was blessed to attend a reception at the festival and decided to shoot afterwards. I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw Mike E. and Afroflow on stage. Their show had lots of energy and a nice blend of musical styles - R&B, Hip-hop, African (broadly speaking), and other styles. I met some of the guys after the show and they were all great. Execellent show. Highly recommended. Check them out at Afroflow.com.

Afterwards, I stayed to shoot some of Bobbi Humphrey's show. She was OK, but was not as compelling for those of us that heard her for the first time.

Support the hobby. Buy your prints. 8-) Also, I have 300 photos in another gallery. If you want to see those, please email keith@kbevphoto.com.

AFA '10 - Mike E & Afroflow, Bobbi Humphrey

Obisoulstar CD Release Party (Oct 10) : On October 14, 2010 the SoulRockinRolla album from ObiSoulStar dropped. I was there at the Wild Hare in Chicago to capture the night on camera. Obi put on a great show and had a lot of fun on stage. Although I took 300 photos that night, these are my 34 favorites. Follow kbevphoto on Facebook and Twitter using the links above. Check out Obi at www.obisoulstar.com

Well done, brother Obi.

Obisoulstar CD Release Party (Oct 10)

Cheeko and Room 11 - Wild Hare (Oct 11) : At the ObiSoulStar release party, we had the opportunity to see Cheeko and Room 11 warm up the crowd.

Cheeko had a strong voice and got people warmed up. Only beef was that he groaned a bit too much on some songs for my taste. Think: Bilal... Which I guess isn't too bad 8-) Nice work Brother Cheeko.

Room 11 was up next as was a very entertaining bunch. The attitude on stage, the attire, and the performance were great. "Get out of my face" was one of our favorite performances of the night. Props.

Cheeko and Room 11 - Wild Hare (Oct 11)

Kenya and Camille G. Brown @Abbey Pub (Dec 10) : Dec 26, 2010 - I Went to The Abbey to see Kenya perform on stage. She was joined by several hip hop artists and Ms. Camille G. Brown. I put the Rappers/MCs in the Hip-Hop section if you're looking for those. After the last "bond money" circus at the Abbey, it was nice to set it less crowded and hosting people that appreciated the talent on stage.

I arrived 1/2 way through Kenya's first song, so I'm glad I didn't miss her. The crowd was still light, which was too bad because they missed a vocal treat on the stage. Her set included several songs from her debut album, Starting Over. Once she proved that she could blow, she took a seat and tapped out her own songs on the keys while she sang. She even did a nice track accompanied by her husband, CJ. You can buy her album online. Just look for her on Facebook at "KenyaMJ Music". You won't be disappointed.

After 1-2 hip hop artists, Camille G. Brown took the stage with her keyboard. Her self-titled album is a mix of R&B, Rock, and Jazz. Overall, I thought Camille had a strong voice and did better as she settled into her set. In Bid Whist and Amateur Night at the Apollo, I apply one rule: "Always start with your best stuff" (so you don't get visited by the Sandman). I'm not sure why CGB started with her album's first track: "Mysterious One". I generally try not to be critical of Indies, but I was really nervous about the rest of the set after that song. It was really confusing and didn't showcase her vocal and musical talents at all. My nerves were quickly settled when she sat down and showed that she could really sing. And wow, could she sing! She was the vocal surprise of the night for me (once I blocked that first song out of my memory). Well done, sister. You can follow Camille at "camillegbrown" on Twitter.

Check these sisters out while the tickets (and CD's) are still affordable.

Kenya and Camille G. Brown @Abbey Pub (Dec 10)

Obisoulstar @the Shrine (Jan 12) : There are very few that can put on a performance like Obisoulstar. His mix of Neo-soul and Rock is unique and energetic. Plus he always throws in a nice cover of some of the best (e.g. D'Angelo, J. Legend, etc.) Not many artists can keep up the energy the way Obi does. Sister Soroya was strong, as usual. Apologies to the other brother singing from teh shadows.

Chris Mathien and others opened the night and held it down until the Main Event. Nice work all.

Like the FB page and get the full gallery.

Obisoulstar @the Shrine (Jan 12)

Lake Effect (Jun 12) : Local band, Lake Effect, made their debut performance at the Tonic Room. i decided to stop by and snap a few pix. The full set of partially edited photos is "linked" from the FB page. You can go there for the link. All photos are unlocked. Enjoy.

KBev

Lake Effect (Jun 12)

George Clinton AFA '12 (Sep 12) : Another year, another great set at the African Festival of the Arts. George Clinton was back doing what he does best, at the age of 71. The crowd enjoyed every minute of it. Despite the lack of wardrobe changes and the full-on spectacle that he brought in 2009, it was a great show. Here are my favorite shots from the night. You may not recognize him without the long hair, but yes, it's him!

Follow the festival at @AfricanFestChi to learn more... and mark your calendars now, it is Labor Day weekend every year - and they bring it every time!

Enjoy

George Clinton AFA '12 (Sep 12)

SOULstice Session (Nov 12) : A great night for a great cause. SOULstice sessions featured five Chicago artists sharing their talent. I'll spare you a long commentary, but safe to say that they all brought their best stuff. In particular, Kenya and Camille G. Brown continue to grow as artists and put on an excellent show.

Note: Photos are in the order I shot them...

Enjoy the pics. Share 'em if you like em...

SOULstice Session (Nov 12)

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