MUSIC REVIEW: EN VOGUE FAIR ST. LOUIS 2014
Photo courtesy of Google Images
July 10, 2014 By Phil Seahorn The aspect of having an act live like En Vogue made available free was something in and of itself, but to have the act so accessible to fairgoers was also something to note. The general entrances to the fair this year were the perimeters of the park. Outside of the Zoo and other attractions in the park, the whole park was closed. The entrance off of
Hampton into the park was the closest entrance to the fair this year. That aspect alone (of the entire park being closed) was an added draw. Taking a time -cutting shortcut thru the golf course next to the north entrance of the Zoo was almost like a scene out of “Night of the Living Dead”; the Saturday was partly cloudy and cool, which was not the norm for a July 5th day in the Lou. And nobody was around. Very creepy. As the shortcut made a 30 minute walk from the Zoo entrance off of Hampton to the stage where En Vogue was to perform a 15 minute walk instead, the music from the stage was so loud it was as if I was already standing next to it. Following the excellent music from the stage, I made my way thru the check in stations for the Fair. The music from the stage (with the back of the stage facing the check in stations) was kicking: old school “Gin and Juice”. As I got to the stage,” The Dirty Muggs” (http://dirtymuggs.com) were giving one of the best pop and urban music sets I’ve seen in a long time. These boys brought their “A” game” (a gig at Fair St. Louis would do that) and I wish them much luck in gaining further national attention. Helluva set from what I was able to catch.
They definitely got the crowd in the mood for En Vogue, and it was indeed a crowd. Expected more people. I do believe that they would have gotten more of a crowd if En Vogue had the main stage. I was kind of put off that the stage that they played was at the very far end of the Fair. Later on in the day I would see just how far the other entrances to the Fair to the main stage were compared to where the stage for En Vogue was. It turned out to be all good. After The Muggs finished their incredible set (with the lead singer doing one armed pushups as the guitarist wailed a screaming finale to their set), DJ’s from radio station 103 came out, prepping the crowd (which was growing) for En Vogue. The next hour and a half was the best vocal performance I have ever seen. The most interesting part of the performance I found was just how sparse the band set up was: bassist, drummer, and keyboard. Now I know that a lot of the music was prerecorded. But the vocals weren’t. A capella was the norm during the entire performance; that was when the set was the best. The band would just stop during a song and let the ladies wail .I mean they wailed. There is the “they can sing” then there is “Oh My God”. Actually, these ladies could have done the whole set a capella, and it would still have been phenomenal. They even
did a medley of songs by Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, even fucking Curtis Mayfield! The crowd showed genuine love, and apparently the ladies felt it, because they gave it right back. Waited and got what I came for:”Free Your Mind”. You could tell it was the band’s favorite; these cats came alive on this song, with all the musicians playing it like the hardest rock song you can imagine. The ladies ended their set by letting the band play them out after a five minute ovation from a crowd that looked to be about three thousand near the stage. Started the 30 minute walk back to Hampton (which turned into a 45 minute slow trudge) but was extremely satisfied. Helluva set, hell of a performance, and three of the most beautiful women in pop/urban music. En Vogue is certainly a part of “the original divas” of urban pop. And all this shit was free!!!!