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The Dell Music Center’s 2018 season kicked off with a bang on July 5. The line-up of Damien Escobar, Tamar Braxton, and Kem provided the sold-out audience with an incredible night of live music . Despite the heat, the crowd was energized all night long which made it obvious that they have been waiting for the season to start.
Damien Escobar, a master violinist, started the night off by serenading the audience with renditions of popular songs like “Am I Wrong” by Nico & Vinz and “Unthinkable” by Alicia Keys. Midway through his performance, Escobar elevated the level of the performance a few notches by handing out red roses to a few of the ecstatic women in the audience. However, he didn’t stop there, after pleasing the crowd with handing out roses he then walked throughout the venue playing the violin, providing many fans with an up close and personal performance.
After a brief introduction by WDAS’s Patty Jackson, Tamar Braxton graced the stage with her fierce “Tamartian Dancers”. As an ode to the “old” Tamar began her performance in a bleach blonde wig and rocked boots and gloves from local Philly designer ‘These Pink Lips’. After giving a speech on the importance of being true to “who you are”, Tamar snatched her own wig off to reveal her recently shaved head. For her finale, she invited audience members up to help her sing her debut song “Love and War”.
The crowd then wound down to the soulful sounds of Kem who reinforced the message of positivity, light, and love that Tamar shared earlier in the night. The “Share My Life” singer made the packed venue feel intimate through his friendly and candid conversations with the audience; he even called on a couple who was dancing in the aisle to join him on stage.
Kem cited that love is an amazing thing and we should celebrate each other rather than focus on the negativity and violence. He concluded his performance by thanking everyone for coming out and gave a special shout out to his band.
If this show is any indication of how the rest of the season will be then it’s going to be a great summer at the Dell!
By: Cierra Williams