Girl at the Rock Shows

I was in the mood to explore a whole new world on Monday night. I was just feeling a bit restless and was having a high ADHD kind of day, so when I arrived at The Armory and realized that I was swimming in a world that I knew nothing about, I got excited. The faces (other than staff) were unfamiliar, and the outfits around me felt so much more extravagant than the jeans and t-shirts I was used to seeing at rock shows. People were dressed up, like they had been counting down the days to this show, and they were ready to party. Shots were constantly being flung across the bar, and I watched as friends hugged and shuffled onto the floor of the giant venue to get a good spot for the show. I know these all seem like things I would see at every show, and you’re not wrong, but something was different about this, and it had me excited to see what the music would bring because, naturally, I had gone into this show knowing nothing about anyone.

First to take the giant stage was Mississippi-born Girlfriend (Kenya Edwards), but I don’t know that many people in the audience noticed. Girlfriend was super timid as she and her DJ took the stage. There was no commanding presence, no giant entrance song or anything like that. Just Girlfriend walking onto the stage, taking the microphone, and diving into her set. Sonically, this set was truly lovely and enjoyable. Her throwback style of pop-infused R&B instantly reminded me of Alicia Keys, but I honestly think that’s because that’s the only act that I really know that even gets close to this world. I may not have the right reference points to make or the right comparisons to really explain Girlfriend’s sound to you, but again, it was lovely. I just wish she had commanded the stage and audience a bit more. Don’t get me wrong, the Armory boasts a huge stage, so having just one person on it automatically raises the difficulty level of catching the audience, but I just felt that Girlfriend came off as too timid and shy throughout the opening set. The music was there, but the energy was not. If Girlfriend picks the energy up and figures out how to be comfortable on a stage like this, I truly think there will be no stopping her.

Following Girlfriend’s quick opening set was another quick opening set from Ama (formerly known as Ama Lou). Ama kept the vibe and sound very much in the R&B world but brought a sense of delicate ferocity to the stage. There was a fire behind everything Ama did on stage, from the words she sang to the movements she made, but there was also something beautifully vulnerable and raw. This created one of those sets where, for me, the music style felt foreign, but I instantly found a way to relate to it, which meant I fell head over heels in love with everything Ama. Although there was definitely a fiery passion behind her performance, there was also something super calculated about it. It felt like she knew exactly what she wanted to say on stage and knew exactly how to move to each song. Typically, this would lead to something almost more robotic-feeling in a set, but not with Ama. Even with the calculations that I feel like she was constantly making throughout her set, there was something fresh and stunningly free about her set. I also really appreciate how she used the entire stage. Don’t get me wrong, Girlfriend did too, but the energy that Ama brought seemed to just take over the stage in a bit more commanding way. I don’t know that the audience got into Ama’s set as I did, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to stand there all night, breathing in Ama’s energy and taking in her beautiful sounds.

My night could have ended here. I was asked by one of the opener’s PR teams to cover this show, so, ultimately, I was not given permission to photograph the headlining act, Ella Mai. The other photographers left because, ultimately, they are just photographers, but, as I typically say, I’m a writer with a camera, so, photo or no photo, I wanted to see what Ella Mai was all about and how this new-to-me name was able to book such a massive venue and have such a clearly devoted fan base.

Ella’s entrance to the stage was dramatic, and I was absolutely here for it. The house lights went down as the band kicked in, and then, out of nowhere, the black fabric concealing the stage fell to the ground and showed Ella Mai lounging on a chaise lounge atop a small hill of stairs positioned towards the back of the stage. Now that I write this out, I realize that this move is nothing new. Vocalists being positioned in a dramatic pose under the spotlight– it’s honestly kind of standard for larger shows like this, but there was just something about this that felt a bit more dramatic and beautifully glamorous. Ella Mai started singing from the lounger, and I instantly understood why this new-to-me act was playing such a giant show.

Like the two openers, Ella Mai’s music leans into a more retro style of R&B. It’s definitely a 90s kind of vibe, but with flashes of modern tones that sparkled as bright as Ella Mai did. It felt timeless and classic. Like a modern-day Marilyn Monroe but in music form. Maybe this is what the kids are listening to these days. Maybe this isn’t as unique as I think it is, but all I know is that, within the first song, I was captivated by a million things from the sound to Ella Mai’s beauty, all the way to her stunningly talented band, and I was absolutely hooked until the bitter end of her twenty-five-song set.

I thought about using this post to call out musicians and performers who don’t allow photographers. It’s a weird thing to me because, as soon as the house lights went down, the massive venue was lit up by everyone’s cell phones. If you’re super protective of your image, wouldn’t you rather have photographers taking “real” photos of you rather than just grainy cell phone footage? I’ve just never understood it, but that’s exactly the point. I’m sure Ella Mai has her reasons for not allowing professional photographers, and who am I to judge? I was a bit bummed I couldn’t document the beauty of her set with photos, but I was absolutely honored to experience it nonetheless.

Line Up:

Girlfriend

Ama

Ella Mai

Venue: Armory

Smell-O-Meter: Weed and Sweat

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- I don’t even know how to count this but there was a bunch to the point where the show had to pause because of so many people passing out

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Girlfrield – 0

Ama – 0

Ella Mai – 0

Show on Deck – Mr. Phylzzz / In Lieu / Unstable Shapes

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