Shows are few and far between so I feel like I cherish them more now than I have in the past few years. Instead of dragging my feet off of the couch to go to one, I hop in the car with a sense of purpose. I get there early to get a good seat and just have a small taste of normal life for me. I have an extra beer and stay a little bit longer just to prolong the experience. Although last night wasn’t my typical show, it was a show and I was excited to go, damn happy to be there, and devastated to leave.
I knew nothing about Leslie Vincent as I parked my car (although I really should have just walked) at Crooners Supper Club in Fridley, but I knew that it wasn’t going to be my typical cup of tea. Sometimes this would intimidate me but, instead of that feeling, I was overcome with a feeling of joy as I took my table to the side of the stage, ordered a drink, and waited for what was to come. I spotted Leslie out of the crowd instantly. There was a playful and beautiful aura about her that instantly draws your eyes in. She seemed nervous as she took the stage which, I’ll be honest, had me a little nervous as well but as soon as she clutched the microphone and jumped into her first song, both her nerves and mine seemed to instantly disappear.
Leslie’s voice bounced between being perfect for a musical to being perfect for a smoky jazz club. The unique sound was something that I had never heard of before and, when mixed with her overly talented band, left my head in the clouds. Sure, not my typical thing and there were moments throughout the set where I seemed to be the only one not mouthing along to the words or nodding my head in approval but, the fact of the matter is, I was just stunned and completely lost in her voice and style.
Her set was full of jazz standards and brilliant original jazz tracks but my favorite song of the night was her ode to being in middle school which she did with her friend, Emily Dussault. Known as The Champagne Drops, the duo had me laughing but also feeling all the feels as they sang a duet over a ukulele about being in middle school. Although it was a bit cheesy and a whole lot corny, the amount of sweetness and pure unfiltered fun that it clearly brought not only the two women, but the rest of the crowd, made it a stand out song in an already stand out set. I feel like that although Leslie’s personality was clear throughout the show, it was during this song where she really just let go and let the audience see her and all of her genuine shine.
The sense of admiration that Leslie had for everyone who had come out to this socially distanced concert on a Monday night was felt throughout the evening. It was a thing of beauty really. Just like Cory Wong had mentioned when I was at his show a couple of weeks ago, going out to anything these days is a “thing”. It’s a stressful situation that often produces anxiety in even those without crippling anxiety issues like myself. Going out is no longer hopping in the car and ending somewhere. Now it is grabbing a mask, grabbing hand sanitizer, making sure not to get too close to someone else, and on and on. Without saying it, Leslie acknowledged that everyone in the audience had weighed the pros and cons and had still decided to come out to her album release show. You could feel just how much that meant to her.
The feeling was clearly mutual. The audience roared with applause after every solo, every song, and when the show was completely said and done, they were on their feet pleading with Leslie for an encore. Although that encore never happened, it was clear that the audience was just as appreciative of Leslie and her wonderful band for taking the time to perform last night as Leslie was of the audience taking the time to come out.
Although Leslie’s music definitely isn’t my typical cup of tea, I fell head over heels for this Norah Jones meets Disney songstress, her infectious smile and her positive vibes. Between the couple in front of me that got up and started dancing for the last few songs to the fact that everyone around me had a giant smile on their face, I almost forgot that these are strange times and this is no longer my everyday life. Part of me felt straight up sorrow for the fact that I don’t do this every night anymore but the other part of me was just so downright appreciative that I have nights like last night even though they seem to be few and far between.
Thank you Leslie Vincent, thank you to your wonderful band, thank you to the wonderful staff at Crooners, and thank you to everyone else who had as much fun as I did at the show last night.
Line Up:
Venue: Crooners Supper Club
Smell-O-Meter – I made the mistake of getting the bruschetta last time I was at Crooners and it was so delicious that I swear every table around me was getting that last night and it’s all I could smell
Average Age of the Crowd- 38
Crowd Surfers- None
Daydream-ability- 9 out of 10
Stage Divers- None
Broken Bones- None
Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing
Fights- None Witnessed
Pukers- None Witnessed
Passed Out People- None Witnessed
Idiots Taken Out By Security- None Witnessed
How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-
Leslie Vincent- 0
Celebrity Sightings- None
Overall Score- 8.6 out of 10
Show on Deck- Who knows
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