Presented by Bowery Boston
Doors: 7:00 pm / Show: 8:00 pm
Tickets on sale Fri. 6/15 at 10AM!
Tickets available at AXS.COM, or by phone at 855-482-2090. No service charge on tickets purchased in person at The Sinclair Box Office Wednesdays-Saturdays 12-7PM.
Please note: this show is 18+ with valid ID. Patrons under 18 admitted if accompanied by a parent. Opening acts and set times are subject to change without notice. All sales are final unless a show is postponed or canceled. All bags larger than 12 inches x 12 inches, backpacks, professional cameras, video equipment, large bags, luggage and like articles are strictly prohibited from the venue. Please make sure necessary arrangements are made ahead of time. All patrons subject to search upon venue entry.
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Jeremih
“I can make a great sex song anytime I want, without even saying a body part, without saying anything that would be omitted on the radio. Somehow I’ve just been given that ability,” Jeremih remarks matter-of-factly, not even the hint of a mischievous grin on his face. The man knows his talent, and his calling card. And as enviable as that talent is, no man of Jeremih’s intelligence and versatility would be satisfied in a pigeonhole: “In no way do I feel that ‘Birthday Sex’ defines me as an artist, or defined my first album. People are quick to make comparisons: ‘he’s the next R. Kelly, he’s the next Dream.’ That’s flattering talk but we’re all different, as people and as artists.”
Indeed, 23-year-old Jeremih Felton has planted his own flag among the glittering banner acts at Def Jam: “I feel like I’m on the best label I could be on; I’m not intimidated by anyone musically, and I’m honored and inspired by the artists around me. There were a lot to choose from, a lot of labels were interested in a short period of time, but I didn’t get this far by making bad decisions. And to be blessed with L.A. Reid’s thoughts and even his critiques, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
So the stage is set for Jeremih’s sophomore album, All About You, dropping September 28th. The singer/ rapper/producer/multi-instrumentalist has again aligned with producer Mick Schultz to deliver eleven songs long on sophistication, sex appeal, and even some old soul. “Mick and I have a great chemistry; we entered the game together, and we have albums’ worth of music,” Jeremih imparts. “I want him to get known too; I’m not selfish like this has to be the Jeremih show. This album is a great showcase for his ability as well as my own. Once people hear this album, others will recognize what I recognized in him and reach out for more of what we create.”
What they create is a sonic palate ranging from subtle savoir-faire to unapologetic, house-shaking climax. First single “I Like,” featuring labelmate Ludacris and co-written by Keith James, is pure babymaking bliss. Jeremih’s uncanny falsetto wends into Ludacris’ irresistible, irrepressible flow, bobbing and weaving with Schultz’s bubbly, scaled-back rhythm. Elsewhere, the titular track is a languid 4/4 offset by sawing high-octave synth riffs. But Jeremih’s vocals, smacking of a young Michael, steal the show. Rare is a falsetto this controlled, this textured, this evocative. Listen for it also on “Take Off,” what Jeremih terms a relationship record told from the lesser-heard male point of view: “Guys have feelings too, guys get hurt, and this record expresses that. There’s a point when we feel like we’ve done enough in trying to work this out, and now it’s best if I take off for the both of us. I can say I been there, but I also hear this from a lot of peers. Women can relate to it too, even if it’s not from their perspective.”
“Down on Me” featuring 50 Cent is a supersmash in the waiting. 50 unleashes an insistent, machine-gun flow, while Jeremih contorts himself through some outrageous vocal acrobatics. His voice, spiced with an island cadence, bends and stretches about one of the nastiest hooks R&B has seen in quite some time. “Down on Me” is definitely a song to be up on. “I’ve always respected 50 and always wanted to work with him,” Jeremih notes. “I wanted to reach out to a couple artists who could bring to the table what I know I do.”
Jeremih doesn’t lack for confidence. Nor should he. A native of the unforgiving Southside Chicago ―“a city full of talent”― streets, Jeremih kept to a positive path, honing his prodigious musical chops on saxophone, drums, and piano. He graduated high school a year early and enrolled at the University of Illinois as a prospective engineering major. Bookworm by day, beatmaker by night. “I write off beats,” Jeremih reveals. “I’m a producer myself, that’s how I thought I’d initially get into the game. After a while, I just got to writing to the beats. And at the time, I was rapping, not singing.” Indeed, the U of I campus couldn’t hold Jeremih; he transferred to Columbia College, one of Chicago’s preeminent creative schools.
“That’s where I met Mick Schultz and started vibing with him,” he continues, “And began singing over his beats, because that’s what a lot of his stuff called for at the time. But singing and rapping both came natural; that stemmed from playing instruments growing up. Playing the piano taught me how to sing, or at least how to sound out, reach, and hold notes.”
Jeremih holds notes, and court, on All About You. The album has a depth, a sense of growth, an exploratory side. “The Five Senses” is a slow, sultry firestarter featuring Jeremih’s peerless tone. Then there’s “Broken Down,” full of ominous piano chords and cadenced like a frozen moment in jazz or soul lore. And “Holding On,” the subsequent track: “After being broken down, you gotta keep holding on,” Jeremih affirms. “It’s about trying to see the future when you’re going through something in the moment that’s getting you down. I played this for my Grandpops and a lot of older listeners and they really responded to it. I’m proud of this song and how far I’ve come as an artist.”
Jeremih has other reasons to be proud. Concurrent with his album release, he’ll be appearing on the second season of BET’s popular series, Rising Icons. Icons, presented by Grey Goose vodka, pulls back the curtains and chronicles the lives of rising stars, both at home and on tour. Jeremih will share the spotlight with fast risers such as J. Cole, Estelle, Laura Izibor, and B.O.B. Elsewhere, he’s been honing his pen game for other ballyhooed newcomers, including Jenna Andrews, for whom he and Mick wrote “Tumblin’ Down,” her debut single on Island Records. “I write what I feel, and with the pitch of my voice, I can write for a man or a woman,” he states. “My voice just has the ability to do a lot of different things.”
Speaking of different things, fans yearning for even more Jeremih can cop the Deluxe version of All About You, available via iTunes and featuring several tracks not on the physical CD. Expect also a Jeremih mixtape, on which the young star does as much spitting as singing: “I rapped a little on my last album with ‘Raindrops,’ and people asked ‘Who was that?’ Now, I have some new stuff that I went hard on that just didn’t fit with the theme of this album. So I’m looking forward to the mixtape to let people see that side of me. A lot of singers try to do it, and it can either A) turn all your fans away like ‘You need to stick to singing, fam’ or B) get you respect as being able to do both. I can put rhyme to a melody and have it accepted.”
It’s been a whirlwind couple years for Jeremih, first setting the Midwest ablaze with his indy anthem “My Ride,” following that up with the RIAA-certified platinum “Birthday Sex,” a nomination for an American Music Award, and now, an imminent sophomore album. “I’ve almost traveled the world in a year, and that’s an amazing experience. I now know what to expect this time around. When I do shows, I perform every song off the last album. People still want to hear those songs live, and those are from a year ago. So I’m excited to see the response to this material.” Jeremih recognizes that without his dedicated fans, none of these amazing experiences would be possible. That is why, on September 28th, he would like to tell each and every one of them it’s “All About You”.
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Teyana Taylor
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DaniLeigh
When the end of Summer hits, the desire to rewind time kicks in, reliving every magical moment from the season’s past. It’s a vibe that newcomer DaniLeigh has managed to encapsulate in her debut EP Summer With Friends, coming soon. The 22-year-old singing and dancing phenomenon cut her teeth in the business when she directed a music video for her late mentor, Prince. She enhanced her buzz with back-to-back jams “Play” (featuring Kap G) and “Lurkin’”, and is here to continue her mission of making music that both sounds and feels good.
The South Florida native had music in her blood, singing from a young age. As an early teen, DaniLeigh recorded YouTube covers of songs like Musiq Soulchild’s “So Beautiful,” though she wasn’t quite ready for the big time. “I was really shy,” she admits, “and I didn’t realize the unique sound of my voice until later on.” It wasn’t until a few years later when she moved to Los Angeles at 16 that DaniLeigh began harnessing her craft. In LA she found her footing in the music industry, starting with dancing. “I was dancing in music videos, commercials, you name it,” she recalls. “From there, I met a lot of producers onset and just networked.” Singing became the secret weapon, as DaniLeigh would reveal her chops and be invited to studios for recording sessions. However, a life-changing encounter with the legendary Prince would be the real catalyst.
After learning of DaniLeigh’s talents as a dancer (through a one-minute video clip), the Purple One reached out to have her direct his video for “Breakfast Can Wait” at just 18 years old. The video hit worldwide, appearing on networks like MTV, BET, and REVOLT. Prince ultimately took DaniLeigh under his wing, mentoring her budding singing career. His untimely death in 2016 left a void in DaniLeigh’s life, though his presence is still felt as DaniLeigh’s star is only getting brighter.
“Play” truly kicked things off. The high-energy single is described by DaniLeigh as an empowering anthem for women. “It’s a bold statement,” she says of the cut, which carries a message of “making a play” in all areas of life. “I’m a very positive person and this song I feel can help motivate people to put in that work,” she says. Bringing Kap G (who is of Mexican descent) into the fold as a feature was her way of uniting more Latinos in music, as DaniLeigh’s Dominican heritage is evident in both her style and sound. The single “Lurkin’” immediately followed, as a slick nod to social those stalkers who don’t congratulate moves, yet look on from the social media sidelines. The song even made its way to the HBO hit series Insecure. The stage is now set for DaniLeigh to show the diverse angles of her talent on a grander scale.
Aptly titled Summer With Friends, the upcoming EP sums up DaniLeigh’s past few months, which she lightheartedly describes as “just having fun and working.” The relatable nature of the project brings forth the aforementioned singles, along with feel good songs that channel the young artist’s inspirations including Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, and Drake while showing her ability to fuse hip-hop and R&B with poppier electronic-driven vibes. Songs like “Questions” playfully target those relationship interrogation sessions (Where were you? Who were you with?), while “Ex” is a self-explanatory track about the now-single artist’s previous romance. “He got one song,” she jokes. Other cuts like the infectious “On” and “All I Know” show DaniLeigh’s versatility within the pop-urban landscape, while “All Day” highlights her Dominican roots. “That’s a bachata beat underneath [the production],” she proudly points out. “The time right now is in alignment, showing that things are going the right way.” As DaniLeigh unveils her debut Summer With Friends and the projects that follow, she maintains her goal of positive music, though has one wish involving one important angel by her side. “I always say I wish Prince was here to see all of this happening with me right now,” she says. “It’s okay though. I know he’s watching.”