On April 27, Grammy winning artist Jody Watley made it a Saturday night to remember at The Live & Up Close Theater at the beautiful Sycuan Resort & Casino near San Diego, CA. No backing dancers to distract; this was all about the artist connecting with her audience “Tonight it’s just you and I!” For nearly 90 minutes, Jody Watley with nothing to prove – proved she still has that IT factor and fully capable to rock a crowd. In addition to the music, the hits, the style, Jody Watley interjects a lot of spontaneous positivity, encouraging words and humor connecting with her fans throughout the show.
While celebrating the 35th anniversary of her platinum second solo album “Larger Than Life” Watley included an array of hits and fan favorites from her diverse discography. The concert also included her latest hit ‘EVERLASTING’ with an inspirational message. Near the end of the concert, there was a surprise rousing funky mashup of “Something New” from “Larger Than Life” mixed in with TLC’s “Ain’t To Proud To Beg”. “I’ve never performed this one live!” Watley exclaimed to the audience. We hope “Something New” becomes a mainstay in her future sets. The spectacular LED screen visuals provided another layer, state of the art element and dimension to the concert experience.
The eclectic set list gave us a dose house music with inclusion of the Def Dub Mix of “I’m The One You Need” and the Alex Di Cio’ mix of another recent dance hit “Whenever.” A fun highlight was Watley bringing up a fan, Shaniece Cole who happens to be an actress and producer from Access Hollywood, for an impromptu dance off during “Still A Thrill.” Ms. Cole was dressed in an homage outfit referencing one of the iconic video looks from the mega solo debut hit “Looking For A New Love.” At the end of the song, Watley gave her custom handheld fan to Cole who was nearly in tears at the gesture and moment.
The underground classic aptly titled ‘Saturday Night Experience’ original mix opened the show. “I haven’t danced this much in years!” was overheard by one of the concert attendees.
Watch the Montage Short on YouTube: Here
