R&B’s most underrated, velvet-voiced king came back to Phoenix for a sold out headliner at Crescent Ballroom on Friday. Marc E. Bassy is out promoting his latest album, PMD, and brought Gianni & Kyle along for the ride.
Despite the madness of the first night of the tour, Gianni & Kyle took the stage right on time for a set that hyped up the underage section of the crowd. Attendees over 21 found themselves considerably outnumbered and outmatched when it came to the energy the duo’s fans projected at the stage. The dual vocalists traded riffs and rhymes, backed by their tireless DJ for a set that had everything from their latest hit single “do u even miss me at all?” to a “Glamorous” Fergie sample.
Bassy has elevated his stage production since his last tour and made an entrance full of flashing neon lights and that cloud of smoke fogging up the room for “Supply”. He was joined by his live guitarist and drummer and never let the hype fade through popular tracks like “Simma” and the incredibly catchy “Drip”.
The Arizona crowd got a little treat with the seldom-played “Made Love First” and “Drunk and I’m Drunk”. Bassy’s guitarist made him laugh, introducing the piano-led “Dirty Water” with, “One time I drank some water and it was dirty”. The sensual and romantic “Morning” led right into “You and Me” before Bassy closed the set with “Die Hard”. The room wasn’t ready for the show to end, however, so the band came back for an enthralling performance of “Subway Car”.
With all of Bassy’s success in the last few years, watching him play intimate venues like Crescent Ballroom feels like watching the start of the explosion. His talent and incredibly unique voice make him a powerhouse in the R&B community and there’s no chance he won’t be playing to massive crowds in the near future.
