By Felicia J. Barclay
S.O.B.'s, New York, NY
July 23, 2008
It was a night that true lovers
of R&B and Soul can attest to, as Anthony David performed for New York City. The vibes that came across the crowd as they
listened to the poignant feel-good tracks songwriter turned artist David
delivered from his latest release Acey Duecy (Soulbird/Universal
Republic), were definitely felt throughout the semi-packed venue.
Newcomer Vincent “V. Rich”
Richardson warmed up the scattered crowd, performing several original
songs for the audience. However, it was pretty clear that they were awaiting David, whose album
is a compilation of songs from his debut 3 Chords & The Truth
and second album The Red Clay Chronicles (both released under
Brash Music).
As soon as David hit the stage,
everyone from the bar and those seated eating dinner all flocked to
center stage. He opened introducing himself and his album singing over
Estelle’s “American Boy,” and then transitioned into tracks from
his third release. Most of the audience has followed him from his very
beginnings, while others only heard his name from penning hits for India.Arie.
Mellow cuts like “Something
About You," “Stop Playin’” and the very relevant “Krooked
Kop” got the crowd of mostly women warmed up. His very easy-going
demeanor along with his gray jeans, black and white plaid shirt, and
nose ring helped his devoted fans relax and settle into the performance
backed by a live band. When “Cheatin Man” and “Cold Turkey”
were performed, everyone in the crowd sung each and every word to the
song carried by the heavy sounds of the electric and bass guitars. He
then performed “Part Of My Life,” which he co-wrote for India.Arie’s
Acoustic Soul album.
He switched things up a bit
by performing Guy’s “I Like” and Mary J. Blige’s “My Life”-
followed by his own “Lady," “Kinfolk” and “Smoke One.” The
ladies in the crowd rocked out to the up tempo “GA Peach,” and then
the band immediately left the stage leaving everyone a little dumbfounded. Fortunately, the band returned to give the show a proper close with the
Georgia native’s first single, “Words.”
Anthony David is not necessarily
new to the music scene because of his songwriting repertoire. Although
many in the audience were not familiar with him as an artist, he certainly
left an impression that has stuck and will prove to continue the ongoing
appreciation of good R&B and Soul music.