I got to watch Evelyn Champagne King perform

[Mr.Ree]

today, up close and personal, at an in store appearance at Amoeba Music in San Francisco...she was promoting her new recording "Open Book" and was absolutely AWESOME. I always knew she was a great live performer but had never experienced her performance standing just a few feet from her. She was totally uninhibited. She told VERY intimate details about her personal life (including recent deaths in her family) and was not embarrassed to tell about how she was discovered, singing while cleaning a men's room at age 16. She chatted with the audience, brought a gentleman up to dance with her, performed most of her biggest hits and did a soulful duet with her husband on guitar. Not surprisingly, she closed with "Shame" and I felt the floor shaking. An experience like this reassured me (as if I needed reassurance) that dance music will ALWAYS have many fans, regardless of what sells and what you see and hear on TV

[kdavid13]

Good to hear that.
I've always been a fan of Evelyn "Champagne" King ever since I bought her very first album.

So many tracks off her albums were as great as the ones chosen as singles.
We're having a party,It's OK,Back to love,Stop that,Get loose,her great HiNRG anthem I'm so romantic [very 80's !!],I can't stand it. (Great bass on this one !)

Your post made me go back and listen to more of her stuff.

[Cdnbob]

Wow, how cool. She's always been one of my favorites.

[VINYLLIFE]

Mr. Ree sounds like you enjoyed her as much as we did!!! We recently got to see her here in Hollywood. Just as you stated, she connected with the crowd. She was very humble and very greatful to have all of us join her. We had a blast. She still puts it all out there!!!

[Dansez!]

You are very lucky! I wish I knew that she was going to be there, I didn't see any advertising. And I was in San Francisco on Sunday! I missed her last year also when she was in Oakland as I was on vacation. Very disappointing.

Thank you for letting us know of her performance. I know it must have been wonderful. Was there a big crowd? It is always nice to hear that an artist is kind and appreciative of their fans.

I bought her new CD and I like most of it. My favorite is the Soul Seekerz mix of The Dance. They only have the edit on the CD but I do have the extended (and best) mix on a compilation.

[Mr.Ree]

You are very lucky! I wish I knew that she was going to be there, I didn't see any advertising. And I was in San Francisco on Sunday! I missed her last year also when she was in Oakland as I was on vacation. Very disappointing.

Thank you for letting us know of her performance. I know it must have been wonderful. Was there a big crowd? It is always nice to hear that an artist is kind and appreciative of their fans.

I bought her new CD and I like most of it. My favorite is the Soul Seekerz mix of The Dance. They only have the edit on the CD but I do have the extended (and best) mix on a compilation.

no, there was not a big crowd, I'd estimate about 80 or 85 people, and I couldn't tell if they were there to see her or just to shop. And also, there WAS advertising. Amoeba (and I think Rasputin's also) always advertise their in-store appearances in the independent weeklies like the SF Weekly, the Bay Guardian and also the Chronicle. But she didn't let the size of the crowd affect her performance, she spoke like she was addressing a small group of her own friends. She opened with "Love Come Down" and when she followed it with "I'm in Love" she had NO trouble getting the crowd to sing QUITE loudly. And there were photographers there who documented the whole performance, so you may want to ask Amoeba's employees where you can see the film of the performance. Lots of people, including myself, took shots with their cell phone cameras but mine didn't come out well.

[Dansez!]

no, there was not a big crowd, I'd estimate about 80 or 85 people, and I couldn't tell if they were there to see her or just to shop. And also, there WAS advertising. Amoeba (and I think Rasputin's also) always advertise their in-store appearances in the independent weeklies like the SF Weekly, the Bay Guardian and also the Chronicle. But she didn't let the size of the crowd affect her performance, she spoke like she was addressing a small group of her own friends. She opened with "Love Come Down" and when she followed it with "I'm in Love" she had NO trouble getting the crowd to sing QUITE loudly. And there were photographers there who documented the whole performance, so you may want to ask Amoeba's employees where you can see the film of the performance. Lots of people, including myself, took shots with their cell phone cameras but mine didn't come out well.

I am very disappointed that I did not know of this and missed her! And I was so close! That seems to be a theme for me lately. :icon_sad:

It's nice to hear it was a fun event, regardless of the size of the crowd. One of these days, I hope I'll get to finally see her perform.

[Mr.Ree]

and today, 9/28/08, Linda Clifford is doing an instore appearance (but at a store too small to perform in) and in the next couple weeks, Thelma Houston, Pamela Stanley and Paul Parker are all appearing in my area!

[Skywalker]

Next year, she will perform in Holland too, I'll be there!!

www.discolegends.nl