The mysterious artist known as Zhu closed out his Neon City Tour in Miami this past weekend at The Fillmore. This was his first full tour with the live band, and as a live music snob, he exceeded expectations. With electronic music it’s always up in the air just how “live” a show is going to be, but this show was indeed live.
The three-piece band consists of hooded figures lined up strategically on stage with the Zhu LED logo directly in the center. A saxophone and guitar player are on either side of the main man. All lights are silhouetted to keep the dark, sexy, mysterious vibe intact. Perhaps the most surprising element of the show was that Zhu actually sings the vocals live on about every track. It’s refreshing when the show doesn’t sound 100% like the recordings.
There were moments when the beat would drop out leaving just heavy bass and the saxophone player would come in over it in a way that doesn’t happen when you listen on your headphones. A definite highlight of the evening was the two Outkast remixes: one was his popular take on “Ms. Jackson” followed by a “Hey Ya” ID. Hopefully that gets an official release soon.
Another cool moment was half way through the song “Paradise Awaits” he switched to part 2 with Goldlink:
The end of the show included a graphic with a date. So keep your eyes peeled for some new stuff from Zhu on July 29th. Look for Zhu’s live act and expect a high quality show that will make you dance your ass off.
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