KATHARINE BOYLE
Bilal performs with guitarist Randy Runyon, drummer Joe Blaxx and bassist Tone Whitfield at The Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, Feb. 27.
The Mayo Performing Arts Center is absolutely lovely, with that unmistakable 1930s structural charm, lustrous interior refurbishments and welcoming staff. It’s convenient, mere steps away from the Morristown train station. An evening of live entertainment there is so pleasant and stress-free, it might spur you to keep up with the theater’s goings-on after one visit. A slideshow before curtain time helps patrons toward that end: upcoming headliners include such luminaries as Frankie Valli, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Botti, Itzhak Perlman and Wynton Marsalis, as well as tribute acts playing the music of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Petty and Neil Diamond.
KATHARINE BOYLE
Bilal at The Mayo Performing Arts Center.
Bilal, who graced the stage on Feb. 27, fit squarely in the former category, even if the name might be obscure for those who did not live through the early aughts and follow the monumental neo-soul movement. His first single, “Soul Sista” (2000), was a fixture in the BET rotation. Unlike many of his contemporaries, though, he never received sustained support from his label. The shelving of his sophomore album, Love for Sale (2003), remains one of the great injustices in the ghoulish music industry.
Like most devotees of neo-soul, I owned a copy of Bilal’s debut album, 1st Born Second (2001). But I was not invested enough to continue following his music once he went independent — huge mistake. I came to realize this last October, after checking him out at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on a lark. It became obvious then why, after he was featured in The Roots’ 2017 Tiny Desk Concert, fans in the comments had been tirelessly campaigning for his own showcase in the prestigious NPR Music series. And in January, we got our wish. It was every bit as terrific as expected. Though I had seen him just five months ago, the MPAC show was a must-see.
As it turned out, these three recent performances couldn’t be more different, despite the Morristown date sharing more or less the same setlist from the tour last fall in support of his new album, Adjust Brightness. With a capacity of about 1,300, MPAC was by far the biggest venue of the three. Yet somehow the show there was also the most stripped-down, sonically, almost feeling like a jam session.
KATHARINE BOYLE
Drummer Joe Blaxx and bassist Tone Whitfield at The Mayo Performing Arts Center.
Aside from Bilal, the common denominators of all three performances were Tone Whitfield on bass, Randy Runyon on guitar, and Joe Blaxx on drums. Notably missing in Morristown was keyboardist Corey Bernhard, accounted for in the other two performances, as well as the additional guitarist and three background singers from the NPR session. But the Morristown audience wasn’t deprived in the least. The band sounded full, perhaps even more robust and explosive than in the Williamsburg venue that held half the capacity.
In the decades following 1st Born Second, Bilal moved on from the neo-soul categorization, which he allegedly loathed anyway. Adjust Brightness, No. 4 on Vulture’s Best Albums of 2024 list, featured more of a trancey electronic tapestry like the music of Thundercat or Corinne Bailey Rae. (A press release cited Aphex Twin, Stereolab and Jai Paul as inspirations for the new sound.) Removing Bernhard’s keyboards from the mix in Morristown was like lifting a cozy, ambient blanket. Blaxx’s beats hit much harder — almost hip-hop like — on “The Story,” “For You” and “All Matter.” Runyon filled in the blanks with guitar and assists from a mini soundboard. These renditions didn’t sound like the recordings, but it wasn’t a return to neo-soul, either.
“Sunshine,” “Astray,” “Micro Macro” and “Quantum Universe” became legit rock songs as Runyon ripped through his solos. Whitfield had a calming presence onstage, but his bass absolutely thumped.
The cover of Bilal’s 2024 album, “Adjust Brightness.”
Bilal’s vocal range was astounding, as always. He effortlessly went from raspy vibrato to silky falsetto to operatic belting. All the right notes were hit in the intricate melodies, and the vocal improvisations also fit perfectly. In “Soul Sista,” he even nailed some of the high notes he had sidestepped during other performances.
He emerged on the stage wearing sunglasses, looking consequently a bit aloof. But as the show progressed, he shed that facade, danced, and even made goofy faces. By the end, he was drenched in sweat, like the consummate performer he is.
The GA club crowd at The Music Hall of Williamsburg had a more energetic vibe, unlike the mostly grown-and-sexy one at MPAC, where attendees were ensconced comfortably in their plush seats. But whenever Bilal dug into the vault and reached for a song from 1st Born Second, they sang along, all the same.
I was relieved that the audience twice got up and gave the performers a standing O. They most certainly earned it.
For more on Bilal, visit officialbilal.com.
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