By Justin Yee //
Curtis Harding (Opening for Jack White) //
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
August 22nd, 2014 //
Curtis Harding kicked off the first of 2 shows at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium this past Friday as the opener on Jack White’s headlining tour. Based out of Atlanta, one could describe his sound as a fusion of soul, blues, gospel and rock. However, when asked to describe his own music, he uses the term, slop n’ soul. Slop, being a southern term for leftovers, and how he incorporates the ‘leftovers’ of different musical influences into his songs.
Harding’s early career included work as back-up vocalist for Cee Lo Green on the road, adding vocal tracks to the albums Cee Lo Green & His Perfect Imperfections and The Lady Killer, and co writing material with Green.
He is also one half of a collaborative project, Night Sun, with Black Lips guitarist, Cole Alexander, which blends the sounds of garage rock with R&B.
On this night, it was all about Harding’s solo efforts and he definitely held his own in front of a growing and eager crowd. Standout songs included “Next Time” and “Keep On Shining” from his debut album, Soul Power, which released earlier this Spring. Be sure to keep an eye on him because he seems poised to do big things.
Setlist
1) Soul Power
2) Drive My Car
3) Next Time
4) Heaven’s On The Other Side
5) Castaway
6) Beautiful People
7) The Drive
8) Keep On Shining
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