Marsha Ambrosius Turns Her Fans into Friends & Lovers
As if Oakland needed any more soul, they sure got another dose from the superb performance by R&B singer Marsha Ambrosius at Yoshi’s in the Jack London Square area.
The singer’s fans also known as her “Marshians” came out in full force to see her perform on the Friends & Lovers Tour. Music lovers have been patiently waiting for Ambrosius to drop her sophomore album since releasing her solo debut Late Nights and Early Mornings back in 2011. To give her fans a taste of the next album, she recently dropped a free EP, perfectly titled FVCK&LOVE. If you’ve never witnessed a Marsha Ambrosius show, be prepared for a sexy, classy, comedic, and soulful atmosphere.
Before the two sold-out shows got underway, Ambrosius held a meet-and-greet with several VIP patrons. Some fans were at a loss for words as she walked up to each individual to introduce herself. They got a chance to talk with the singer on a more genuine, personal, level. She also signed autographs and posed for photographs. As the meeting came to an end, so Ambrosius could prepare for her show, many patrons instantly took to their Twitter and Instagram pages to post their keepsake photos.
As the lights dimmed low in the intimate room, Ambrosius approached the stage in an all-black posh look and opened the show with an impressive cover of Sade’s “Stronger Than Pride.” She then took the crowd back in time with sultry and mature songs from her debut album including, “Late Nights and Early Mornings”. While performing “I Want You To Stay”, she showcased her musical prowess simultaneously keying the piano as she serenaded the audience.
An immaculate talent in her own right, she received a lot of recognition when she wrote the smash hit “Butterflies” for the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Ambrosius put her own spin on the song as she belted the high notes, giving the audience plenty of butterflies and chills with her range variance and falsettos. She then paid homage to the late icon as she sang her own rendition of his Off The Wall hit, “I Can’t Help It.”
Throughout the show, Ambrosius took her Marshians on a journey telling different stories about friendships, love and heartache. She gave a brief tale about how one morning she woke up next to her best friend, which in the end conflicted their relationship and brought her to the conclusion that people can’t be friends and lovers. She also told a tale about when a woman is in love with a man, she fantasizes a whole movie in her head, starting with the marriage, to having kids and spending time with his parents. The venue swarmed with chatter and laughter, since plenty of women can relate to that scenario. She’s an honest artist and a lot of her songs are about relationships, she’ll easily curse within a song, showing vulnerability, unafraid to let people know if someone has mistreated her.
Marsha Ambrosius serenades the crowd
She then graced the crowd with one of the most seductive tracks from the new EP titled “69,” but also pleased the fans with her smash hits “Hope She Cheats On You (With a Basketball Player),” and “Far Away.” The set then took a quick turn to show Ambrosius’ love for California’s music scene. Her DJ started playing classic hits from Snoop Dogg and E-40, and as the crowd got hype, Ambrosius showed off some of her dance moves.
She closed out the show by taking her Marshians back to her roots, when the world was first introduced to her as one-half of the duo, Floetry. She played the piano again as she sang the duo’s hit songs, “Getting Late” and “Say Yes.” During “Say Yes” she got the men and women in the room to trade off the verses, completing her mission. Making the entire crowd both, friends and lovers.
