The Loft, Portsmouth, NH. Sun. 6-10-18, Doors 7pm. $15.
The Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA. Fri. 6-15-18, Doors 8pm. $17 adv., $19 day of show.*
Great Scott, Allston, MA. Sat. 6-16-18, Doors 8:30 pm. $15.*
*opening for River Whyless
This is something special.
Jalen N’Gonda is a soul/R&B singer with a silvery pure voice. Perhaps his parents knew this before he was born, and chose the appropriate birthplace of Silver Spring, MD. In either case, N’Gonda has one of those voices that you listen to once, and can’t stop hearing thereafter; we mention him at our review of the Newport Folk Festival last year (see “N’Gonda performed perhaps the best covers we’ve ever heard“). And yes, we still remember this man with the silver (or really, golden) voice.
Now fast-forward one year. N’Gonda has a debut EP out, Talking About Mary (you need NEED to listen to it for free here) a flashy website, and a tour with more dates than, we don’t know, ourselves (mostly modest). We’re positive N’Gonda is a headlining act, but his newness comes with a price: he’s got to work even harder to wow new fans. And we’re positive he can do that.
This is a musician, a deep, beautiful singer who will hit the big time as soon as his first album comes out. We’ll stake our reputation on that. Perhaps bigger than Hozier; but that’s our guess. He’ll be big: that’s for granted. So catch him now, while these tickets are a total steal and a misdemeanor in the lower 48.
We’d better see you next week; not showing would be the bigger crime here.
-Mgmt