Post by Daniel Harris
Photos by LaVan Anderson
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The Baltimore Soundstage once again proved that it is a premier venue and the perfect host for Marsha's Friends and Lovers Tour. With incredible sight lines at every angle in the venue and great sound, the soundstage was an amazing way to take in the evening's artists. Before Marsha Ambrosius took the stage, her tour provided an opportunity for Baltimore to get familiar with a few up and coming artists.
First to take the stage was Motown recording group Mprynt. When you are an R&B group on the Motown label, there is a lot to live up to. Although there were some signs that they were fairly new to performing on this level, this group of four managed and represented the Motown name very well. After covering artists like Jay Z, Tupac and Blackstreet, Mprynt performed "Don't Hurt Me." A decently put together tune, was a good way for the crowd to get a sense of who this group is and their potential to be successful in the music business.
Next to perform was Jade Alston. From her first song "Good Times", it was very clear that Jade was a unique artist. Jade's blend of R&B, soul, alternative and folk was a true testament that music really knows no boundaries. After being diagnosed with a serious heart condition, Jade Alston purposed to do the music that she loved and that spoke to her most. Her sound is a very polished one, which is the perfect vehicle to drive her very open and straightforward lyrics.
Both Jay Hayden and GoGo Morrow are no strangers to the big stage and their respective performances made that very evident. Both Jay and GoGo gave great energy and connected very well with the audience. Sharing the stage with artists like Deborah Cox, Tank and Eric Roberson, Hayden's laid back acoustic set gave the audience a great opportunity to see why he has been able to share the stage with so many talented artists. GoGo Morrow, former background singer and dancer for Lady Gaga, gave the crowd a high energy performance that was the perfect lead in to Marsha Ambrosius.
The anticipation for Marsha reached it's highest point yet and just as it was about to boil over, she took the stage to an eruption of cheers. Marsha Ambrosius knows how to give a great performance. The sold out venue was not only treated to Marsha's incredible vocal ability but also some very candid moments. Each time she chose to reflect on some moment of her love life, there was the sense that it was much more than a show. It was a way for her to really work some things out and share her experiences.
Marsha is a very clever and truly ingenious artist. How she effortlessly transitions from "Late Night, Early Morning" to Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" was classic! Her self produced take on the Sade classic "Stronger than Pride" perfectly blends the smooth Sade's familiar smooth sound with heavy Hip Hop influence. (Jeru the Damaja's "Come Clean" being the base of her interpretation) 17 years removed from it first being penned and 9 years since recording it, "Butterflies" is still a crowd favorite. With both Marsha and the sold out crowd singing, it became one huge chorus singing those very memorable and relatable lyrics.
If an opportunity presents itself to check out the Friends and Lovers Tour, it would be foolish to pass it up.
Our thanks to the Baltimore Soundstage for the media access and photographer LaVan Anderson for the wonderful photos.
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