On Seeing H.E.R

On Seeing H.E.R

I, too, felt the shame of not knowing who she was... We can overcome this void, together, though. We can stand proudly in this new wave of R&B and let H.E.R. be a guiding force.

H.E.R, a 21 year old from California, graced UAB's Springfest stage tonight...and it was divine! She embodied the essence of Erykah and the energy of Prince as she played her lead guitar and then at times switched to keyboard. An hour long set provided the 1000+ crowd a soulful ensemble of original material from her self-titled album and added a little UUMPF as she sprinkled in some R&B'ed hip hop covers. 

A crowd favorite and in current radio rotation, she sang her hit, Focus, but by the end of the night she switches to a bluesy croon, a nasty guitar hook and she belts out her version of Make It Rain. I was reeled in by her magic. You can tell a lot by an artist's fanbase, their enthusiasm and the knowledge of H.E.R. lyrics. We definitely have a timeless artist in the making.

But here's a video I recorded from the event. Let It Rain. Ed Sheeran made this cover famous as it appeared on the Sons of Anarchy soundtrack.

Also, part of tonight's festivities was LoveMoor. A funky artistic sister sporting green hair who added a new fanbase to her repertoire by the end of the night. If UAB didn't know of her beforehand she certainly endeared herself to the throng of college students. Almost a 30 minute set of all original music ending with a funked out reggae beat. Birmingham's up and coming artist recently returned from SXSW and can check off her list an NPR TinyDesk performance. Don't let this artist slip under your radar. Follow her on IG: https://www.instagram.com/lovelookingatmoor

Good look for the night, Birmingham.

-mj