RACHELLE FERRELL

RACHELLE FERRELL/RUSS BARNES/LEDISI

at Warner Theatre in DC – July 25, 2003

by Dawn! E. Robinson

As concert attendees entered the Warner Theatre on the evening of July 25, we were given a “Dear Washington DC Family” letter from Rachelle & Russ (her younger brother) thanking us for coming to the show and supporting them, touching on their over-ten-year, side-by-side fight with the music industry and informing us about their new venture: Evolutionary Records. They will be releasing 2 CDs this Fall – one by Ferrell, the other by Barnes. According to the letter, this new label will be “free of all traditional record industry bonds and chains.”

When I got to my seat opening act, LEDISI was already performing “Soul Singer”. I think I only missed the first song – street parking drama (don’t ask). LEDISI, was dressed in a two-piece white knit suit and she was barefoot! Her band - keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, two backup vocalists & Sundra Manning on Hammond B3 – was “kicking it” and LEDISI was singing and shout-dancing around the stage. The next song I recognized as “Hold On To Love”.

LEDISI introduced a brand new song, “Whole Lotta Pain” – an ode to the current state of the world – which, at one point made Ferrell run out from just offstage where she and Barnes had been watching her show.

LEDISI’s live performance has been compared to Tina Turner and Patti LaBelle. But I think they left one artist out – Shirley Caesar!!! Seemingly out of nowhere, LEDISI was touched by the spirit and had instant “happy feet”. There was much spontaneous Pentacostal-style “happy dancing” going on during her performance. She is a GREAT performer! She is VERY comfortable onstage, moves very well and is also very funny.

She intended for the chorus of “Get Outa My Kitchen” to be an audience participation piece. But she stopped and told the people down front they were singing it “too straight” and told us all that we needed to loosen up and sing it with attitude.

She closed her show by thanking WHUR-FM for introducing her songs to the DC area and thanked Ferrell for asking her to come on the show before heading into “Take Time” - her anthem to working people. Again, she encouraged the audience to sing along on the chorus. During the closing vamp LEDISI did a pantomime of a day at the office complete with verbal sound effects of PC keyboard clicking sounds, a telephone ringing, people walking by, etc. It was skillful and HILARIOUS!!!

RACHELLE FERRELL’s band - rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, keyboard and drums took the stage after intermission and vamped to Ferrell dancing onto the stage. Dressed in black slacks, black shoes and a white halter top, she opened the show with “Satisfied” and after giving a prayer of thanksgiving, joked about leaving her backstage guest list and requests list back at the hotel because she had cramps. She looked even slimmer than last year and six-pack abs showed whenever she raised her arms.

Her second number was “Sista” followed by Raymond, her road manager bringing some tea out to her at the piano. Ferrell was so appreciative, I actually thought she was gonna cry.

Ferrell announced that she was “officially off the plantation and no longer signed to Capitol Records”. She said that she hoped everyone had received the “DC Family” letter and wanted everyone to read it and spread the word about her new indie label, Evolutionary Records.

At this point, Ferrell sat down at the piano and people started yelling out requests. Amazingly, she did “I Forgive You” and “I Can Explain” back-to-back. If you have heard these two songs, then you know that that’s no small fete. The spirit that had given LEDISI “happy feet” came back to hit Ferrell during the closing vamp of “I Can Explain”. All of a sudden, she was up from the piano and stomping around the stage.

Once composed, someone yelled out for “Open Arms” which she obliged a capella. It was flawless and, as usual, people in the audience took up the background harmony parts.

Ferrell then introduced younger brother RUSS BARNES who was greeted with screams before uttering a note. Wearing a simple tank top and slacks he was serving delts, pecs, biceps, triceps and abs on a silver platter. He played acoustic guitar on two songs that he wrote - “All I Can Do Is Try” and “Can’t Say That I Blame You” – from his forthcoming CD. Both had a folk/rock vibe. But, unfortunately, his microphone wasn’t loud enough and the keyboard and lead guitars were both too loud. So, Barnes’ voice was lost in the sound mix despite yells from the audience to turn his mic up.

During a brief pause, some woman shouted “You look good, Russ!” which caused other women to scream again. Someone else shouted, “Are you married?” Finally some guy shouted, “You look good too, Rachelle!”

Ferrell brought LEDISI & Sundra back out to close the show. She said that “they” warned her that two singers couldn’t possibly share the stage in a concert like this; especially two female singers and LEDISI added that Rachelle has “no ego” at all. They closed with “Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This” with Barnes singing Will Downing’s part. On the closing vamp Ferrell made Sundra take over the piano, Barnes hit a stratosphere note and held it forever and Ferrell & LEDISI ad libbed, ran the stage and “happy danced” until taking their final bows together.

I hear that at the 12:30 show, Ferrell brought Daryl Coley onstage, so I can only imagine how high the spirit got at that point.

As for me, I was so inspired by RACHELLE FERRELL and LEDISI that I had to go find somewhere to sing!!! I hit the road to Fantastico Inn in Warrenton VA – a little over an hour outside DC - where some friends of mine were playing and they let me sit on a few.

=================================================================================================================

Comments? Start or join a discussion of this review, RACHELLE FERRELL, RUSS BARNES and/or LEDISI on the Forums page. Or if you have a lot to write, send comments to vocalmusician@att.net for posting on the VocalMusician site.