Photo courtesy of @prettyfly_butterfly
The essence of love was alive and well on Monday, February 13th, when two-time Grammy nominee Eric Roberson returned to the DMV for a performance at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA. After quickly selling out a Valentine's Day show, Mr. Roberson added a second show to the delight of his fans.
Before the show began, the audience was treated to a video preshow titled "Erro TV ."It was a great way to set up the evening's atmosphere. Eric's band and background vocalists took the stage with a commanding, followed by Eric hitting the stage. The night began with a lively version of "Picture Perfect" from his 2011 album, Mister Nice Guy. The bops continued with a one-two punch of "Start All Over Again" and "Howard Girl," followed by an effortless transition into "The Newness" and " "Borrow You."
Given that it was a Valentine's Day-themed concert, you know there had to be some slow jams. Eric kicked off the slow jam portion of the show with a fire performance of "Lyrics Of Pleasure ."In addition to teasing the audience with humorous choreography, D-Mo filled in for the song's original featured vocalist Will Downing.
Salisbury, MD native Aaron Hardlin, the featured act on keys, brought the house down with this intro for "She," which is a favorite among Roberson's female fans.
"Mark On Me" was next, followed by a humorous story that set the stage for a breathtaking cover of "Superstar." One of the best things about an Eric Roberson show is when he makes up a song on the spot. Usually, he takes words from the audience, but for this go-round, he used a couple's love story in the audience.
Eric also found time for a medley of covers that paid homage to LL Cool J, The Notorious B.I.G., Debarge, and Method Man before returning to his catalog. One of my favorite songs from Eric's latest album is "All I Want," featuring unreleased from the late Kenny Greene of Intro.
As the night began to wind down, Eric blessed the audience with a shortened version of his 2008 hit "Dealing" before ending the night with what may be his signature song, "Lessons. I've lost count of how many times I've seen Erro live. He continues to provide a quality night of entertainment every time I see him live and is highly recommend seeing him live when he's in your town.
Final Grade: A -