Whenever we are able, we always try to give various perspectives on the shows we ADDIKTS attend. Below is a review of the PJ Morton “Walk Alone” Album release show at Center Stage Atlanta on Friday, April 23rd, told from 2 perspectives.
4daLove: Having just come off an interview with PJ Morton, us ADDIKTS were really looking forward to seeing him live at CenterStage last Friday. But, when I got to the venue, I was a little surprised. The crowd was a little light. There was no line at the bar or the bathrooms and everyone was sitting down. The air and vibe before the show was definitely lacking something…
I had to wonder…would PJ be enough to move this crowd?
Turns out, he didn t have to be. With a colorful cast of opening acts and a stand-out peformance, PJ Morton found a creative way to weave religion into the show without putting people off.
His show was a case study of how to pay respect to your religion and spirirtuality without beating people over the head with it.
Part MC, all comedian, Marcus Harvey got the crowd warmed up with his hilarious depictions of the antics that characterize Sunday worship service.
Then Decatur native, Nathan Angelo took “us to chuuurcchh” with moving performances of several songs from his 4 releases, “Love Sucks“, “Way Past “Love“, “These Ol’ Keys” and “A Brighter Day“.
soulHIGH: It had been a LONG time since I’d seen PJ Morton in concert. So the anticipation was high prior to the show. Not only that, but this show was a live recording to celebrate the release of his new album Walk Alone. His set began with a full band, with a horns section, leading the intro to “She’s Gone” and the crowd went wild. At least, the ADDIKTS did. I did notice a few concert-goers around us that seemed a bit stiff for a PJ show. I’d hope that as the show went on, they’d get some energy. Who comes to a concert like that to sit with your arms folded? Anyway, the ADDIKTS always bring enough energy to spread, so we masked their lack thereof. When Tweet graced the stage to sing “Love You More” with PJ, the audience responded well. I think this is an album favorite.
There was quite a moment that I personally experienced during the show, when he sang “Mountains and Molehills”. If you listen to the words of the song, maybe you’ll understand. I literally got chills. Music is such a powerful form of expression. At one point in the show, PJ called up his father to the stage and they sang “Let Go” and it was definitely felt in the room. I respect the fact that PJ hasn’t forgotten where his roots are. It was a beautiful thing to see father and son sing a song of encouragement and inspiration. I’m sure someone in the audience needed to hear that- perhaps even me.
He also took us back to some of his previous albums by singing songs like “Jiborish”, “No Ordinary Love”, “How We Were” and the show closer – “I Need You”. PJ’s live show definitely leaves the ADDIKTS on a high…we’re still trying to recover! Support good music…
For more information on PJ Morton, check his website and follow him on Twitter.
