“I’m from a small town so the last time I was home around Christmas I was in the pub just gossiping about who’s fucked who and who got pregnant,” laughed Mahalia as she paused he set to speak to the audience at the Bronze peacock room at the House of Blues. The sold-out crowd let out an audible gasp as they laughed along with the singer as she walked closer to the edge of the stage.
“I’m serious,” she replied in her UK accent. “The difference between this time and any other time I’ve gone home is people kept coming up to me letting me know they knew I would make it.”
She ended the sentence in a mocking tone prompting the crowd to boo the insincere well-wishers in her hometown story. “I’m just glad for once I could finally say you can’t sit with us.”
As her voice trailed off the microphone the audience erupted in applause and the opening notes to “In The Club” began to play through the speakers.
Mahalia’s Letter To Ur Ex Tour touched down in Houston Saturday night showcasing the singers angelic voice and her ability to work a crowd. From the second she set foot on stage Mahalia was in control of the room displaying the skill of an entertainer with decades of experience under their belt. Whether running through fast paced tracks like “Simmer”, her Burna Boy assisted single, or grooves like her chart topping single “What You Did” featuring Ella Mai, Mahalia kept the crowd on their feet. Not just sticking with the hits, Mahalia dove into her catalog of EPs, giving true fans the experience they came looking for and exposing new fans to her music. The audience sang and danced along as the singer guided them through her catalog, often losing themselves in the music.
“I normally record show or at least have my phone out to take pictures,” exclaimed a breathless Cadi Joseph as people began to file out the show and into the pavilion walkway. “I have no pictures because I was so caught up in the music. I have never seen her live and I heard it was going to be good, but it was that and even more than I could have ever expected.”
It was a great night for live music with Mahalia’s opening act, Ogi, getting the crowd to eat out the palm of her hand with performances from her EP Monologues. Backed by a lone guitar player, Ogi was able to quickly introduce songs to the crowd and then, almost immediately, have them join in song with her as she performed.
There is usually something special that happens when performers get a chance to showcase their talents in the Bronze Peacock room at the House of Blues. While the space is not as large as the two-story concert hall in the same building, the intimacy always adds something to the performance that is unmatched. Mahalia and Ogi added to that legacy of entertainment with the Letter To Ur Ex tour Saturday night.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2022.
