Quiet Friday evening, I’m relaxing in my apartment and thinking of settling down to a movie, then calling it a night. But, just as the thought is formulating, my phone rings and by the end of a conversation filled with a lot of squealing and laughter, my plans have changed to attending a K-CI & JOJO concert. The event is taking place in downtown Minneapolis at Trocaderos Nightclub and restaurant which just recently opened. We get there shortly after nine o’clock and walk into the classy high-end nightclub.
The night is certainly beginning well as I scan my very appealing surroundings. We get some drinks and walk towards the dance floor, inching as close to the brightly lit stage as possible. The VIP section which is upstairs is sparsely occupied as comfortable as it appears. One of my friends keeps yelling in my ear hardly able to contain her excitement at the prospect of watching the duo live in concert.
K-CI and JOJO, brothers originally from North Carolina were part of the R&B group Jodeci in the early nineties. However, it wasn’t until later on when they became a duo that their fame reached new heights. Over the years they have released four albums, and numerous singles with the "All my Life" single as the most popular.
The host of the evening appears on stage and this draws more people closer to the stage, each creepily trying to secure room for a good view. A few jokes into the event from the host, laughter, cheers, and screams from the audience and the show begins with the opening acts. Among the acts are: FA from West Africa, Chantel from Chicago and V.I.P.
Around eleven o’clock, the host finally gets on stage to introduce long awaited artists K-CI & JOJO. Amidst high pitched screams, the duo slowly walk on stage singing "I don’t mind". K-CI dressed in an all black suit is at the front of the stage while JOJO is in a brown suit, each with a white towel on their shoulder. There is no end to the screams as K-CI gyrates to the music sending the ladies into a wild frenzy.
I’m right by the stage, though it’s getting tough to keep my position with the dancing and shoving. All the same, I have a good view of the brothers, who are now much older than I remember, hold the audiences attention and bring forth quite a performance.
Into the third song, K-CI who has shed his coat off, is carried shoulder high by one of his bodyguards amongst the crowd of fans., who stretch and reach out to touch him.
Song after song, the audience sings along as bodies sway this way and that. Some of the songs include "Tell me it’s real", "Life" and "Crazy" which JOJO performs sitting while K-CI dances from one end of the stage to the other.
The last song of the night is "All my Life" before the duo bow down in thanks and exit the stage.
In 2006 K-CI released a debut solo album "My Book" and the duo is back in the studio with the other members of Jodeci to record a new album.
Author
About Helen Kinuthia
Helen blogs on the Minneapolis nightlife and entertainment scene. You can read her entries here.
- Web |
- More Posts(29)
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
