REVIEW: Acute Inflections Dazzle and Inspire a Sold Out Crowd
10/26 @ Brown’s Revolution Hall, Troy
“The show itself was unlike anything I’ve seen in a long time, melding music and comedy effortlessly while also incorporating motivational and inspirational stories throughout.”
The more time rolls on, the easier it is to fall into artistic comfort zones. We read the same types of books, rewatch our favorite shows, listen to our go-to records, and so on. It’s admittedly difficult to step outside our proverbial bubbles, but on Sunday night, I was reminded why it’s oh-so-important to do so from time to time. It’s not that familiarity is bad — it’s more that, by sticking to our habitual natures, we’re depriving our souls of both culture and new, rewarding experiences.
Stepping into Brown’s Revolution Hall on Sunday night, I immediately knew I was outside my own comfort zone. It was as if I was transported onto the set of an HBO limited series. The vibe was, to use a formal term, classy as hell. There were ushers ready to accompany folks to their seats, which were first come, first served — a far cry from the down-and-dirty rock shows I’m used to attending. Thank goodness I had a clean, long-sleeve button-up in my closet that morning because my normal ratty band tees would have stood out like a sore thumb here.
The theme of the night was Harlem Renaissance, hosted by NYC-based jazz/comedy duo, Acute Inflections. The Harlem Renaissance of course was the African American cultural movement circa 1920s-1930s that celebrated music, literature, fashion and more. The pair — vocalist Elasea Douglas and bassist Sadiki Pierre — immediately conjured up the era with a red sequined dress and navy suit with matching fedora, respectively. From the opening notes of Sadiki’s upright bass, we were instantly transported to a buzzing, smoke-filled jazz club of yore, minus the smoke.
Perhaps most impressively, every element of the event was orchestrated and funded by the artists themselves. They explained they are truly independent artists — despite many record label inquiries — who save up to rent venues, hire staff, and even buy snacks so attendees can have something complimentary to munch on while waiting for the show to begin. A simple gesture that really upped the ante (seriously, all shows should have complimentary snacks in the lobby!) The duo even provides and runs their own sound, including sound checking in front of early arrivers a mere 30 minutes before showtime, asking them for help getting the balance right. It made the whole thing incredibly intimate and personal.
The artists themselves came off as super accessible as a result, breaking down the normal barriers between audience and performers by walking around the crowd post-sound check, saying hello to and taking pictures with fans, many of whom dressed the part to partake in a Harlem Renaissance inspired “Best Dressed” contest mid-set. Two lucky audience members went home with a prize given directly by Sadiki himself. And those weren’t the only prizes handed out from the stage. During an excerpt about the beauty of love, they polled the audience on who had been married the longest. A couple of 41 years took the prize and received a gift basket curated specifically by the artists containing items from Black-owned small businesses from their homebase in NYC.
As for the music, the duo of upright bass and R&B-style vocals was equal parts smooth, soulful and uplifting. They put their spin on classic songs like Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and Rihanna’s “Diamonds in the Sky,” encouraging the audience to sing along with them (which they happily obliged). In between songs, they playfully quipped back and forth, providing levity in the form of fake bickering between husband and wife, to the audience’s delight. Sadiki’s dry sense of humor was impeccably timed, and Elasea’s reactions were both hilarious and relatable.
The show itself was unlike anything I’ve seen in a long time, melding music and comedy effortlessly while also incorporating motivational and inspirational stories throughout. Their goal was to implement show policies that reflected Harlem in the ’20s. Treating people with kindness and respect. Staying “neutral” during the show (which came with a quip about not always taking Elasea’s side). In one of the most impactful moments of the night, the pair described a recent experience during their work with the Renaissance Youth Center, a South Bronx charity empowering inner-city youth, which also serves as the beneficiary of a portion of the night’s ticket sales. A child in the program was designing an impressive mock city in the building. In the middle of his layout, he had placed a prison. When asked why he put a prison in the middle of the city, the kid responded, “So all the kids can see their dads.” You feel that lump in your throat? Pretty sure the entire crowd did as well.
The most wholesome moment of the night, however, came at the end of a song near the middle of their set. As the audience clapped, the pair reached over and grabbed each other’s hands for a moment. It was a subtle gesture between two partners in life and music, an “I love you above all else” that really struck me, mainly because of its humanity. Throughout the night, Acute Inflections stressed the importance of love and unity; of respecting our fellow human beings regardless of our differences. In modern times, it’s a message we can’t hear enough, and perhaps I wouldn’t have had I not stepped outside my bubble. I’m so glad I did.
