Concert Review
November 2, 2013
El DeBarge
Bal Theatre - San Leandro, CANovember 2, 2013
Reviewed By = Mauricio Segura
The Bal Theatre in San Leandro enjoyed another successful night of concerts on Saturday November 2nd. For each of two shows, patrons lined up and down the street in anticipation of hearing and watching 80's R&B hitmaker El DeBarge. “I was 14 when I first heard I Like It” said Shontelle of Oakland, “I've been in love with El ever since. And this is the first time I get to see him in person. I left my husband babysitting the kids, so me and my friend can come. I am more than excited!”
From the moment El DeBarge hit the stage, you can feel the electricity shoot through the crowd, and the performer did not disappoint. His voice is just as good if not better than it was 30 years ago, his moves, charisma, and overall demeanor was that of a seasoned bonafide superstar. Alternating from sitting behind the keyboard to standing and dancing on stage, Debarge connected with every single fan like a true entertainer does. From handing the mic to one lucky woman to sing, to asking another one to come up on stage for a little dancing time and then jumping into the crowd for a group dance along, not one person left the show disappointed in any way.
Each concert went on for almost an hour and half with hits like I like it, All this Love, Time will Reveal, and the finale Rhythm of the Night which brought the house down! El has had his ups and downs through the years in his personal life, but its quite obvious his fans have never left his side. On more than one occasion in fact, he clearly felt the love and connection as he paused momentarily to wipe tears from his eyes. Catching up with Shontelle again after the show she stated, “I don't know if I can even sleep tonight. That was the best concert I have seen in a long time. I might just get in line, buy tickets, and see the second show. When El came down from the stage he grabbed my hand, looked into my eyes and sang just to me. It was the best 8 seconds of my life!'
If you have never been to the Bal Theatre, make it a point to check them out. Owner Dan Dillman is working hard on bringing to notch entertainment to San Leandro. Would you like to see Bel Biv Devoe, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, and others? Stay tuned. Aside from that, the Bal also puts on great comedy shows, conventions (Sci-fi Fest on November 16-17 with special guest Marta Kristen who played Judy Robinson in the Lost In Space series of the 1960's), and movies.
Bal Theatre Page - - - > http://gbm-concerts.info/bal.htm
Rating = 4 out of 5 Golden Bridges
