For Better Or Worse, I Still Will Choose You First

Playing two nights in a row in the same city and at the same venue says something. It says that what you’re doing is catching on and that people care about what you have to say. Playing two shows a night, three nights in a row says even more. Yes, people care what you have to say, but I feel like it takes it to a whole new level. Musiq Soulchild is on that level, and I was lucky enough to experience the first of six of his shows at The Dakota on Thursday night. I honestly had never heard of Musiq Soulchild before but, hell, with six shows on the books, there had to be something to see and hear here, right?

Born Taalib Hassan Johnson, this forty-eight-year-old has definitely put his time, heart, sweat, and soul into his music, and you could feel that the second he and his amazing band took the stage. The show started with just his band taking over the small and intimate stage at the beautiful Dakota in downtown Minneapolis. They played for a couple of minutes before Musiq Soulchild was led out onto the stage by two additional vocalists. He hopped into his set, and I instantly felt like I got to know this man on a deeper level than just seeing a performer on a stage.

Musiq Soulchild’s sound is deep. I’m not talking about the tone. The tone is actually pretty light and fluffy. I’m talking more about the heart and soul he clearly puts into his music. From classic songs about love to more complicated songs about life in general, it quickly became clear that this man has a way with words, and I was hanging onto every word that he and his singers were giving me. It was raw and honest, but it was presented in such an elaborate and slightly fancy kind of wrapping. The room felt romantic; it felt energized, and, more importantly, it felt happy. This world can be super dark. Every time you turn on the news, there’s bound to be some new tragic story that is hard to wrap your head around, but that wasn’t what I was thinking about on Thursday night. I was just thinking about being in a space with people who I seemingly have nothing in common with and coming together through the music we were collectively watching and listening to.

Although I liked the overall vibe of the night, this wasn’t my favorite show. I know that sounds harsh and, truthfully, I hate being harsh, especially when it’s at a beautiful venue like The Dakota and a performance from a legend like Musiq Soulchild, but I also feel the need to be truthful, so here goes.

The vocals throughout the set felt a bit off. My boyfriend mentioned that he thought Musiq Soulchild might have been feeling a bit under the weather or something. I mentioned that I thought it might have been nerves, since this was the first of six back-to-back shows. Either way, and regardless of what it was, something just sounded a bit off throughout the performance, and I found it a bit hard to recover from it. Don’t get me wrong, I could hear and feel the talent of Musiq and his entire band, but there were moments when the vocals felt a bit too hot and others when I had a hard time following a certain melody. Some points felt a bit strained when it came to the vocal range that Musiq was trying to hit, whereas others felt perfect. It was a rollercoaster ride for me, and I just tried my damnedest to hold onto that heart that I was feeling radiate from the stage.

Maybe this relates back to my theory of Musiq Soulchild feeling a bit under the weather, but just after he and his background singers boasted about his storied discography, saying that they could play all night and still not hit every song they wanted to, Musiq left the stage and gave over the microphone to a friend who had flown in from Boston. I appreciated Jyshoun’s time on stage and definitely liked his R&B-meets-rap kind of flow, but I thought it was weird that, with so many songs to try and get through, Musiq would give up the microphone for a bit. After two quick songs from Jyshoun, it was time for the backup singers to shine. The two women each got a few minutes to showcase their talent and, holy heck, I mean, the talent was not subtle, but, again, I felt like it was all just weird, and it left a not-so-great taste in my mouth.

All of that criticism aside, I loved watching the people around me. They aren’t concert reviewers. They don’t do this night after night. They were at this show because, clearly, Musiq Soulchild had had an impact on their life at one point or another, and they wanted to witness that magic in person. I watched with a grin across my face as women around me were moving in their chairs while singing along, their fingers snapping to the beat. I may not have been overly affected by this set, but a lot of people were, and it set the tone and created the vibe of the night that really saved the show for me.

Not every show can be a winner. Not every musician is going to speak to your soul or even whisper to your heart. That’s okay. That’s what live music is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be a shared experience that shows you new worlds or at least gives you something to get lost in while the world goes crazy around you. Maybe Thursday night felt a bit off to me. Maybe the music wasn’t quite my thing. None of that changes the fact that Thursday night at The Dakota with Musiq Soulchild was a lovely time, and I am glad I got to experience it.