There’s nothing like good music. Despite what you may have heard, it is still out there (and not just in the form of Kanye West either). In the realm of neo-soul/R&B music certain names come to mind, and if Raheem DeVaughn hasn’t been added to your list, he needs to be. DeVaughn packed New York City’s famous club S.O.B.’s on Tuesday for a memorable concert. The audience filtered in about two hours before the show was to start quickly swelling the room to near full capacity. Despite his tardy entrance and impatient fans, DeVaughn took to the stage with a refreshingly coy enthusiasm. Minus his trademark cornrows, he opted for clean cut look, wasting no time and jumping right into his performance. The two hour set was a mixture of both new singles (off his soon to be released album Love Behind the Melody) previous singles and a sprinkle of some Marvin Gaye. DeVaughn’s performance was everything that an audience loves about an intimate setting. He was close enough to make the ladies think that he was actually singing directly to them. His friend, artist “Paintbrush P,” painted pictures of DeVaughn as he sang. P usually travels with Devaughn to many of his concerts providing his vibrantly colored paintings as an added bonus. A quick costume change in which DeVaughn emerged wearing a purple cape and crown was the only unnecessary point in an otherwise flawless performance. Of course everyone loves a song filled with more soul than you can sometimes bear, so the energy in the room was wonderful. Couples, friends, industry execs, and a few screen all rolled in to have a good time.Sweaty and in nothing but a tank top, DeVaughn ended the show with an extended performance of “Guess Who Loves You More” and “You.” If the anticipation for his album wasn’t already high, this performance more than raised the bar.
