Concert Preview: Eric Roberson @ The Black Cat
You waited until the last minute to try to buy tickets for Saturday’s “Hip-Hop Honors” concert, only to discover it sold out. Fear not, because D.C. will be having a number of other noteworthy shows over the next week. First up is Eric Roberson’s Friday night set at the Black Cat.
Who’s Eric Roberson? New Jersey native Roberson began his professional singing and songwriting career while a student in Howard University’s Musical Theatre program in the early 1990s. During his sophomore year, he inked a deal with Warner Brothers Records and released a single, “The Moon,” which received moderate radio play but didn’t parlay Roberson’s career into star status. Instead, he soon lost his recording contract and found himself back in D.C. This seeming defeat actually paid off as he was able to finish his degree and formulate his return to the industry.
Instead of trying to get signed again to a major label, Roberson started his own and began writing songs for other artists. Acts such as Musiq (“Previous Cats”), Dwele (“Hold On”), and Vivian Green (“Emotional Rollercoaster”) have all benefited from his ability to translate emotions into lyrics. He started putting his vocals at the forefront in 2001 when he collaborated with house music producer Osunlade for what’s become one of the genre’s recent classics, “Change For Me.” Since then, he’s also worked with DJ Jazzy Jeff, J. Rawls, as well as released several well-received albums, including this year’s "…Left.”
Tonight’s performance comes a few weeks before the import release of Roberson’s “The Collection”. However, a new album shouldn’t be the sole reason for seeing him perform live. He’s built a reputation for being a fantastic live act, as displayed in a CD/DVD released earlier this year, “Erro Live: Vol. DC,” which captured Roberson during one of his numerous return visits to the District. Backed by a more than capable band, Roberson’s everyday-guy-struggling-with-love lyrical content resonates with audiences because the subject matter is universal. Virtually everyone has had relationship issues at one point or another, but Roberson’s ability to condense the wide range of feelings that accompany such occurrences into one song is uncanny. Vocally, he won’t blow the roof off the building or add a lot of theatrics like some other male singers on the market. Instead, he swaps raw power for a subtle and intimate styling that, once again, helps bolster the quality of his live performance. With this all said, attending an Eric Roberson show shouldn’t be considered a consolation prize. He’s a strong enough performer to deserve the limelight.
Photo taken from artist's MySpace page.
Eric Roberson performs tonight at the Black Cat along with Emily King. Doors open at 9 p.m. $17.