Ruby Amanfu – Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY 9/17/15 (SHOW REVIEW)

There are tons of singers in the world, many are fantastic but the select few who can transport you to another space/time/world with only their voice should be sought out as often as possible. Ruby Amanfu is one of those singers.

Her live set at Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side of Manhattan was an hour long testament to her voice as she performed her new album Standing Still with grace, power and passion. The intimate venue had a full stage as Amanfu was backed by a seven piece band (two keyboardists, two guitarists, pedal steel, bass, drums) who provided textured backing allowing Amanfu to deliver her cover versions of songs (and one original).

The dramatic “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” was a perfect opener as the band eased in and Amanfu declared the stage hers. She did receive some help though from Mary Akpa a fellow vocalist who accompanied Ruby expertly on both “Shadow On The Wall” and “One by One”. Both songs were infused with energy from the singers as well as the band, driving forward and raving up much more than the inward looking original versions.

The delicate “As The Dawn Breaks” was a cool down while Amanfu’s original “I Tried” came complete with a story about how Ruby was baking a pie when she wrote it. Her personality also came to the forefront with a cover of Jump Little Children’s “Cathedrals”. Before the song she mentioned how this track got her through many rough times in her life and how much she truly loved Jump Little Children, even high-fiving a like minded fan in the crowd. She then proceeded to deliver a riveting rendition, backed by only one electric guitar for a raw emotional, stripped down performance.

The piano led “Street Lights” Kanye West cover brought things back to the city before Ruby’s retelling of how she made this album, by getting seen covering “Not Dark Yet” at a Dylan Tribute only a few blocks away a couple of years ago. Tonight’s version of that song brought goosebumps as Amanfu connected with the crowd, band and spiritual world by digging deep within herself and expressing; a complete showstopper.

The show ended with the group playing The Heartless Bastards “Out at Sea” with a cool sparse groove with lots of energy. It would be impossible not to be impressed by the players and especially the dynamic Amanfu’s performance on this night.

Related Content

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

New to Glide

Keep up-to-date with Glide

Twitter