by 
Went to see Amel Larrieux tonight. She was cool. She almost has this imperfect perfect fragile versatile vocal delivery. She sang Giving Something Up, Bravebird, Tell Me, Keep Tryin, Gills and Tails, and Magic. She started to sing the Other Half that makes me Whole song, but the band hadn’t rehearsed it. She’s not weird at all to me. She uses her voice as an instrument. She’s really good at pushing and pulling her voice. She showcases the power of the soft sweetness. At the end she sang a song for Michael. Yea, I called him Michael so I am serious. She sang I Can’t Help It. I cried. I don’t know. Maybe I’ve been feeling that it’s been too long, a whole month, and I shouldn’t still be crying. I don’t know to whose standards I am trying to hold myself to. I just feel so hollow inside. She started singing the phrase Thank You and I just lost it because I am so thankful for having him in my life and I just feel kinda lost without him. I wonder if there’s something wrong with me. I’m just so sad.
Her daughter is one of the background singers. She’s cute and has a really beautiful voice. You can tell Amel has taught her vocal delivery. Styles are very similar. The other background singer is a lady named Queen Amenah. Well, that’s what Amel called her. She sounds like Regina Bell. Just Exquisite! Jimmy Smits walked past us. He apparently owns the club. Once they cleared the dance floor of the VIP chairs it became a club/party atmosphere. They played Shimmy Ya by Ol Dirty. DJ Rasheeda aka DJ Ozone is good. I forgot, the 1st song they played after Amel left the stage was PYT. During the I Can’t Help It she kinda stopped singing for a second and said she was getting emotional. I don’t see how singers sing through tears. I’m sure there’s some trick to singing through genuine tears and heart ache.
She spoke to love…something I am not too sure of. These days to the snazzy white girl or the sista in the white terry cloth jumper. But not me. It’s like I’m the pink elephant in the room that no one will acknowledge is even there. I like the lyrics to Keep Tryin. If only I could internalize the hook and use it. “Keep your head to the sky and keep trying. Believe in you and it will take you higher.”
The part that really fits me is: You have sorrow. Everywhere you turn it seems to follow. When you let go happiness will come to you tomorrow. You day is coming though it seems far. Things will be clear when you love who you are. Nothing can stop you as long as you listen to your heart.
Yea, those lyrics accurately describe the purgatory I am in.
by