SOUL II SOUL TOUR
Fox Theater
Detroit, Michigan
March 11, 2023
by Dedan Blackmon
With Musiq Soulchild, Ledisi and Kem at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan
Walking up to the Fox Theatre the marquee reads Musiq Soulchild, Ledisi and Kem… people are lined up and ready for the ‘Soul II Soul’ concert, which is sold out.
First on stage is Musiq Soulchild. When the band started playing and Musiq starts to sing, you can’t help but sing along with him because you already know the words. Opening his set with ‘So Beautiful’, Musiq’s music is so soothing, you can’t help but to get into the grooves. Singing hit songs like, “Just Friends’ and ‘Love’, these are song that we still sing to this day. Musiq Soulchild’s last EP “Love You More” was released in 2021. His new cd “Victims And Villains” was actually released on the same day as this concert.
Performing next was Ledisi, who opened with her hit song ‘Bravo’. With her hypnotizing vocals, Ledisi definitely brought the heat! When she opens her mouth and hits those notes, you know you’re gonna get that fire that you hear on her records. And her fans felt the same way because they started rocking back and forth and throwing their hands in the air as she performed. Ledisi’s energy was definitely felt throughout her whole set. She left her blood, sweat and tears on that stage…giving it to you straight with no chaser! A 14-time Grammy nominee, but winning in 2021 for ‘Best Traditional R&B Performance’, she later performed “Add To Me” and “High.”
Closing the show was Mr. Kemistry himself… the man who is probably responsible for a lot of loving relationships, healthy marriages and babies being born. As colored fog fills the stage, and the lights go down, the keyboard player’s intro begins while a planet earth with ‘welcome’ and flamed graphics appear on the big screen. The stage lights come on and you hear a voice echoing ‘You don’t have to lie to me, you don’t have to lie to me, lie to me’ as Kem goes into his opening song, ‘You Don’t Have To Lie To Me’. Dressed in a neon green suit and white shoes, Kem walks up to the microphone at center stage to the screams from his female fans. Kem then went into “Love Calls” followed by “My Favorite Thing”, which he recorded with Ronald Isley. In 2020 Kem recorded two live shows in Detroit for a live album he was hoping to release at the end of that year. That cd was to help him celebrate 20 years since signing to the Motown label in November 2001. Kem is also a Grammy nominated singer, songwriter and producer. Shout out to Beth Griffith Manley, a background singer for Kem. She is a solo artist, and former contestant on ‘The Voice’. Although she didn’t win, Beth has released two albums and made quite a name for herself in the music industry.
