A little more than a year ago Leon Bridges http://leonbridges.com/music-and-video/ was a 23 year old dishwasher in Dallas/Ft.Worth, Texas. He played whatever gigs he could get at local coffee houses there on the side. Tonight he performed before thousands at the DPAC arena in Durham http://www.dpacnc.com/ What a difference a year makes!

He put two of his songs on the Sound Cloud music platform last year that garnered the attention of Columbia Records who promptly signed him to do an album. While his first album was in production, he built further buzz during last year’s SXSW festival in Austin. He was THE topic of the entire festival and his following grew. His debut album entitled, “Coming Home” was released in June 2015. He had arrived. The Album’s title piece became a hit. The album was recorded on Analog straight to tape. This old school method {which D’Angelo also used for his underground album “Messiah”}captures a richness that digital simply cannot. He has been compared to Sam Cooke and the comparison is valid.

Lianne la Havas, http://www.liannelahavas.com/ the acoustic folk alternative singer/guitarist opened for him. This British ingénue has carved out her own little niche amongst her fans. Her crisp playing and song bird delivery was a delight to behold. She performed a few songs from her grammy nominated album, “Blood”. Instead of wardrobe changes, Lianne changed acoustic guitars 3 times during her set! It was A great beginning to a wonderful evening.

The headliner was up next. Leon’s smooth delivery and stage presence was magnetic. His clothing; bowling shirt and polished brown saddle shoes are an important part of bringing the 50’s and 60’s back to life. But garb alone is not enough for long term success. His talent is unique. He commanded the stage and had the audience in a soul induced trance. I was pulled into the rhythm of his guitar and yesteryear voice. Warm and rich like a warm mug of cocoa on a cold winter evening. Leon is different than everything else out there today and THAT is a good thing indeed.