There was no shortage of fans who turned out to see Goapele, the first ever artist to perform at the patio at Myth Lounge, on Friday. And quite rightly, since Oakland neo-soul singer Goapele is the real deal: Great songs, great voice, and she’s been kicking around long enough now that she’s paid her dues and honed her craft. To most people she’s best known for her singles, Closer and First Love, but she’s got plenty more worthwhile songs on her five albums.
Friday nights’ Soul Therapy events have already been a big draw at Myth Lounge for people that love to dance to Hip Hop and soul. The DJs went on as usual before Goapele took the stage. They gave the eager, extremely packed crowd over four hours of eclectic dance music. As the night wore on, the crowd pushed closer and closer towards the stage in anticipation of Goapele. When she finally hit the stage at 12:30, the crowd went crazy. People were dancing, singing along and taping every minute of her performance with their cell phones.
The evening wasn’t without its disappointments. Goapele played a very short 15 minute set before the DJs returned. Plus the sound system for her performance was weak. The background music was tinny and her vocals were mixed too quietly. It was strange considering how good the sound was when the DJs were playing music.
Through it all, Goapele was a total professional. Her songs were soulful and original. Her voice, even though it was a little tough to hear, was fabulous. Hopefully Myth irons out some of the sound issues and continues to bring top-notch artists to play at their club. It looks like San Jose is craving it.
