THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 9, 1996 TAG: 9604090348
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music Review
SOURCE: BY RICKEY WRIGHT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
The kind of major concert production favored by some R&B and pop superstars can succeed wildly or flop big. Janet Jackson and Madonna can make them work; Hammer, at least at Hampton Coliseum in 1992, couldn't.
Black music's current King of the Studs, R. Kelly, had mixed results at his own Coliseum appearance Sunday night. With its triple-tiered stage set, numerous costume changes and a troupe of dancers, there was ambition to burn. At the same time, a tinny sound mix and frequent, blaring feedback threatened whatever intimate mood the randy Kelly was able to build.
Despite the vaunted artistic and personal growth displayed on Kelly's current self-titled album, the show relied mainly on the suggestive lyrics and movements that have been his trademarks in the past. Kelly often underplayed his stirring voice in favor of bump-n-grind antics that elicited screams. A little of this went a long way. In musical terms, it seemed a bit of a tease.
Much better was LL Cool J, who generally eschewed the soft focus of his recent singles ``Hey Lover'' and ``Doin It'' and instead delivered a storming set of greatest hits. Even though he's now a mainstay of family-TV, he remains one of the most compelling and powerful performers in '90s pop. An erotically explicit interlude carried a dose of humor that was all too often missing in the headliner's act.
A short set by Xscape confirmed the notion that this girl group is merely filling the void left by En Vogue's long absence from the scene. Less distinctive than En Vogue in every way, they also received the least enthusiastic audience response of the night.
Openers Solo were much more impressive, packing a lot of music into their 17 minutes. The one-time street singers proved their devotion to old-school styles with a nearly a cappella medley of Sam Cooke and Drifters tunes, then staked a claim with vigorous takes on their hits ``Where Do U Want Me to Put It'' and ``Heaven.'' Smart soul fans with big hearts and vocal cords to match, they gave something back to the tradition - and to their listeners. MEMO: CONCERT REVIEW
R. Kelly, LL Cool J, Xscape and Solo, Sunday night at Hampton
Coliseum.
by CNB