Original image by There Stand the Glass.
Erykah Badu recited several of her self-anointed sobriquets during her concert at the Midland Theatre on Tuesday, October 13. Nicknames like Serra Bellum and Fat Belly Bella provide insights into Badu’s mindset, but rightfully proclaiming herself the spiritual heir of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln might have been more helpful.
She clarified her role in the jazz continuum in a headlining appearance at the Sprint Center in 2018. While she performed large-scale cosmic jazz at the notorious concert, Tuesday’s presentation was entirely different. The shapeshifting star and her ten-piece ensemble focused on electro-funk for much of the nearly two-hour- and relatively punctual at a mere 70 minutes behind schedule- performance.
Dual drummers and keyboardists occasionally canceled one another out. A more compact group would probably have produced cleaner music, but Badu basked in the intentionally muddy wall of sound. The politics she espoused were no less convoluted.
In speeches long and short, she expressed contradictory philosophies associated with Ayn Rand, Che Guevara and Salvador Allende. Badu warbled “I am so dizzy right now” after spinning about like a lithe version of Thelonious Monk. Her politically-minded admirers undoubtedly suffered doctrinal disorientation.
Badu vogued to the audience favorite “Tyrone,” beamed up to the mothership at the conclusion of “Window Seat” and auditioned the promising new song “Angels in the Afterlife.” After proclaiming “I feel like getting real juke-jointy,” Badu led the band in dazzling versions of Willie Dixon’s blues standard “Wang Dang Doodle” and her risque jam “Annie (Don’t Wear No Panties).”
Adhering to Baduizm mandates accepting the good with the bad. The same traits that make Badu one of the most vital musicians of the past 25 years also make fandom challenging. Yet on Tuesday, every dubious decision was countered by several moments of brilliance. Buying a ticket to see Badu is akin to purchasing a lottery ticket. The approximately 1,200 people at last night’s concert won big.