Raphael Saadiq
Grammy Museum Clive Davis Theater
Los Angeles, CA
3/23/11
I heard about a special Raphael Saadiq “American Express Card Holders Only” BS show that was going on at the Grammy Museum the day tickets were going on sale. Trying my luck, I busted out my corporate card (the only AmEx I have) and prayed to the Ticketmaster gods I would be one of the chose ones. As luck, and a $19 service fee would have it, I got through. For my effort, we were treated to a special Q&A session and then a short set featuring tracks off the forthcoming record in a very intimate 200 person theater. The downside is that they had about 7 people watching the crowd to make sure you weren’t taking pictures or recording the set. I set my recorder on the floor, so the quality of this recording pretty much sucks, but I figured I would share it anyway. I can’t speak for the other 198 people who were there, but we thought it was an amazing evening.
Setlist
1. Heart Attack
2. Radio
3. Day Dreams
4. Just Don’t
5. Stone Rollin’
6. Good Man
Download: Raphael Saadiq – Los Angeles – 3/23/11 – 146 MB
Sample: Heart Attack (Live)
This week is going to be about posting stuff that I’ve been meaning to write about that’s been sitting my inbox. First of is Raphael Saadiq. I have no idea how this record slipped completely by me for over a year, especially seeing that it was up for 3 Grammy awards and voted Best Album on iTunes, although I’m probably not the target demographic for “Best R&B Album” most of the time. I guess this proves that there is some worthwhile “mainstream music” out there after all. Raphael just came through LA a few days before I heard this track, otherwise I would have been at the show for sure. It’s a fantastic 60′s soul throwback record, which I love, done with some seriously talented people. I should go back and put an asterisk on my best of 2008 records to include this one because it’s straight up amazing. If you’re digging this track, do yourself a favor and be sure to check out the full album “The Way I See It.”
