PLANET CHOCKO – art/music/movies/beyond » Living Colour played NJPAC

Living Colour played NJPAC

August 28th, 2014 by chocko

Corey Glover and Vernon Reid of Living Colour

The soul and funk metal sounds of Living Colour blasted through the Theater Square at NJPAC last week. The free show got music fans from Newark and beyond to assemble for a night of loud music. Due to the threat of some nasty weather, the show got an early start with opener Danielia Cotton warming up the crowd with her band and powerhouse vocals. She ended her set with a Prince cover of “Purple Rain” that almost had me waving my lighter in the air. Her latest release is titled The Gun In Your Hand which Mr. C picked up from the merch table. Perhaps a review coming soon. In the meantime, check out Danielia’s website or follow her on twitter for information on her upcoming shows and music updates.

Danielia Cotton

After perusing the food trucks, we joined the crowd that surrounded the stage eagerly anticipating the headliners: Vernon Reid (guitarist), Will Calhoun (drummer), Doug Wimbish (bassist) and Corey Glover (vocalist)…aka Living Colour. It’s been years since I checked out one of their shows…yeah, what is my problem? What a treat to be soaking it all in while in the front and watching Vernon Reid play the guitar! Their set list comprised of their many hits including “Open Letter To A Landlord” which showcased some acrobatic vocals by Corey Glover. Also on tap were many songs including “Middle Man,” “Elvis Is Dead,” “Time’s Up” and “Love Rears Its Ugly Head” all while Corey was chilling on top of a speaker on the side of the stage. Not only can he sing but Corey can run the social media side of things while on stage, taking videos and selfies with the crowd and even liking one of my instagram pics. I enjoyed hearing Will Calhoun play a drum solo which featured what Vernon described as “the beat your mother warned you about.” The other half of the rhythm section, Doug Wimbish also quite impressive on the bass. Toward the end of their set, the band played their monster hit “Cult of Personality” which got a lot of smartphones and cameras up in the air.

Some quick news…the band will be dropping a brand new album titled Shade in the fall along with a tour celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary. Corey recently fronted the Bad Brains for a couple songs at last week’s Afro Punk Fest in Brooklyyn. He totally killed it. Check it out HERE. Vernon is back in Newark on August 28 for a free performance with Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber. Doug is organizing the WimBash 2014 which happens at Sully’s Pub & Tiki Bar in Hartford, CT on Sept 13 which features a stellar lineup of musicians. Check out more photos and videos from the Living Colour show at NJPAC in Newark, NJ below.