It was only 48 hours before showtime when I found out the lovely R&B songstress Chrisette Michele would be performing at the House of Blues in Cleveland. In that moment, I knew I had to see her for the first time on The Milestone Tour – a tour named after her latest album Milestone.
I shuffled some plans around and made my way downtown last night, and I’m glad I did.
Walking into the venue among all of her Cleveland fans – a majority of them female, both young and mature all dressed up just to see one of the best R&B songwriters and vocalists in the game today. Everywhere you turned people had their cell phones out taking selfies, group pictures, video and the show hadn’t even started yet.
Timmy Brabson / @TimmyBrabston
The house lights went down, the curtains opened, and the crowd began cheering as fog crossed the stage into blue lighting, creating a haze effect.
New Jersey raised rapper, Timmy Brabston opened the show, bouncing around with a lot of energy, encouraging everyone to put their hands in the air. The three songs Brabston performed reminds me of mainstream hip-hop, one of which “Thinking Bout Me”, a track off of his EP Watch Me Now, was a standout and a crowd pleaser.
Lil’ Mo / @THELILMOSHOW
Lil’ Mo performed immediately after opening with “Super Woman” and people went crazy, then went on to sing Lauryn Hill‘s “Ex-Factor” as everyone in the building sang along with Mo – No matter how I think we grow, you always seem to let me know – it ain’t working. Dancing around and clowning with the audience in a metallic gold jacket and some black shiny spandex pants. Mo sang the hooks to Missy‘s “Hot Boyz” and Ja Rules “Put It On Me” then closing out her set with “4Ever”.
Finally, the woman of the night, Chrisette Michele, swayed onto the stage in a sexy black mini dress that accentuated her curves singing “Black Girl Magic” from her latest album Milestone. Michele went on to sing “Be Okay” a song she won a Grammy for in 2009. The vocalist continued with one of her newer songs “Soulmate” with a euphoric induced vocal.
Makeda “Keda” Cyrus (@keda_baby) & Caché Melvin (@cachemelvin)
Chrisette’s two dancers Caché Melvin & Makeda “Keda” Cyrus kept the crowd lit throughout the night with alluring and exciting moves. The band Night Shift was on point all night – often times sounding better than Michele’s record – blend in seamless backing vocals from Chimer Patrice & Uri Grey and you’ll get lost in the music.
The major highlights of the show came later in the night with fan favorites like “If I have My Way”, “A Couple Of Forever” and “Epiphany (I’m Leaving)” kept all of the ladies in the building singing loudly. Most impressively were Michele’s vocals on Ella Fitzgerald‘s classic “Summertime” ending the show with complex scat and an opera inspired vocal of the song.
The Night Shift Band and Chimer Patrice & Uri Grey
The final song of the night was “Unbreakable” an upbeat song Chrisette Michele wrote the night of her engagement.
Chrisette Michele is one of the most amazing singers I have ever heard live, effortlessly captivating the crowd. I love her vocals and can’t wait to see her again. There are plenty of dates left on The Milestone Tour – don’t miss out on this outstanding experience and get some tickets.
View a Full List of Chrisette Michele’s The Milestone Tour Dates
