Ever since hearing 'Home Again' I've been a fan of Michael Kiwanuka's music. Especially after seeing him live I am completely sold and have seen him play several times. Last time he show cased a few new songs of his second album that was due to come out. That new record Love & Hate has been out now for a while and shows him successfully exploring new grounds. Time to go check him out again.
Michael Kiwanuka at Paradiso Amsterdam, November 25 2016
The first album Home Again was an excellent soul album, full of beautiful emotional songs. On Love & Hate however Kiwanuka broadens his horizon with psychedelic, folk and americana influences. And so the concert begins with an almost Pink Floyd like intro by his keyboard player while the rest of the band joins him after a few minutes for 'Cold Little Heart', the lead off track of the latest record.
Kiwanuka knows how to create an intimate atmosphere, with his wonderful warm voice and music, but also his modest appearance. No big fuzz about this gentleman, simply a man and his guitar. And an amazing band of course, because let's not forget about the amazing musicians around him. They know exactly when to hold back or add a bit more swing, or occasionally play explosive accents. It must be comfortable for Kiwanauka to be able to rely on a band like this.
The quality and the diversity of the new songs are apparent in the setlist as well. All songs of the new album are lined up tonight, with a few older ones scattered in between. Some of them get a slightly different arrangement, adding some solo's or stretching them for a bit. The first encore ends with a lovely version of 'Love & Hate', where at the end the musicians leave the stage one by one while loud cheers sound, leaving the keyboard player as the last one like at the beginning. But it's not over yet. The band returns and plays a gorgeous version of Prince's 'Sometimes It Snows In April' as an ultimate tribute to the Purple One. A touching end to another wonderful evening with Kiwanuka and his band.
All Pictures
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Setlist: 01. Cold Little Heart
02. One More Night
03. Tell Me a Tale
04. Falling
05. Black Man in a White World
06. I’ll Never Love
07. Always Waiting
08. I’m Getting Ready
09. Rule the World
10. The Final Frame
11. Father's Child
Encore:
12. Home Again
13. Bones
14. Love & Hate
Encore 2:
15. Sometimes it Snows in April
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