Mayer Hawthorne crooned to a sold-out show at Webster Hall yesterday night.
Connecticut trio The Stepkids opened up for him with a psychedelic set that ranged from Bee Gees-type pop soul (they were certainly dressed for the occasion) to an all-out acid jam.
The Stepkids
The Michigan-native Hawthorne, wearing his signature kicks, then swept the crowd with his soulful falsetto voice and soulful ramblings in between. His band, dressed to the nines, created a funky time machine that blasted us back to some serious old school Motown nostalgia. They even snuck in a Hall and Oates cover that sent the crowd to their feet. This is how every concert should be.
The latest free mixtape from The Weeknd is here. Echoes of Silence follows up the great House of Balloons and Thursday. It’s been a busy 2011 for The Weeknd but music fans are definitely grateful for The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye.
The Weeknd – D.D. Echoes of Silence features nine tracks including a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana.” Need any more convincing? Head over to The Weeknd’s homepage and scoop up your own copy of Echoes of Silence. If you slept on Thursday or House of Ballons, you can download the mixtapes there as well.
If The Weeknd’s homepage is slow, the direct link to Echoes of Silence is here.
Echoes of Silence Track List
1. D.D. (Dirty Diana, Michael Jackson Cover)
2. Montreal
3. Outside
4. XO/The Host
5. Initiation
6. Same Old Song
7. The Fall
8. Next
9. Echoes of Silence
Mayer Hawthorne has made quite the name for himself. After the surprise success of A Strange Arrangement, Hawthorne followed that up with his soulful sophomore release of How Do You Do. Hawthorne’s voice is a soulful mix of old and new, providing a modern take on a good old fashioned love song.
Mayer Hawthorne was in town for a special Hard Rock performance at Exit Art. The drinks were flowing, the scene was gorgeous, the people even more so and the night featured DJ Shiftee and Questlove providing some great music. While you may know Questlove, Shiftee should also be on your radar. Shiftee is a New York native and a DMC champion who teaches at DubSpot.
While Shiftee provided music early and Questlove later into the night, Mayer Hawthorne was the star of the night.
Mayer Hawthorne and the County wooed hearts and enchanted feet to create one soulful dance event. It was easy to get swept up. Hawthorne is no longer an outsider, having receiving plenty of fan and artist support, and this comfort really shines in concert. The County were deft musicians in their own right, bringing Hawthorne’s voice and lyrics to life.
After Mayer Hawthorne and the County got the night warmed up, Questlove kept the dance party going. Mixing a great combination of hip-hop jams and 90′s classics, the crowd was into it from start to finish.
Dwight Arrington Myers, also known as Heavy D, has died at the age of 44. TMZ reports that he was brought to an LA hospital today after collapsing in his home.
The actor, rapper, record producer, and singer was well known as the former leader of Heavy D & the Boyz. The group gained fame by creating the In Living Color and MADtv theme songs, and with classic 90s R&B tracks like “Now That We Found Love” (below).
Further detail in this Wikipedia clip:
Heavy D performed the rap on Michael Jackson’s hit single “Jam” as well as sister Janet Jackson’s hit single “Alright”. However, the group’s next album, Blue Funk, was not marketed as well as their previous albums[citation needed], but is widely viewed as an underrated gem.[citation needed] Heavy D then began focusing on his acting, appearing in the television shows A Different World, Roc and Living Single before returning the music charts with Nuttin’ But Love.
