SatinDollDC: The Inimitable Sade

After months of anticipation, the moment of truth came last Thursday when Sade Adu, or simply, Sade came to the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore setting off her North American tour. The air was thick with anticipation. As Frankie Beverly and MAZE boomed throughout the venue between John Legend's set and the main event, I could hear people trading stories back and forth about how much they loved the enigmatic woman with the perfect ponytail. These folks were fanatic. They knew about her childhood, her career, had read every liner note, every interview, seen every video and kept the flame of their fandom alive for the last 14 years: the last time she had performed in the U.S. on tour. My brother, was among them. Having revealed to me on the two-hour bumper-to-bumper drive from D.C. that he had fallen for Sade when his ex had fallen out of love with him. He continued that her voice soothed his wounds and he was able to relate to the lyrics of loss and love in a way he would never have previously imagined. This one more example of the bonding my brother and I had been able to do during his week-long visit. As a bonafide 22-year old adult now, he could accompany to places like the Hookah bar and Patty Boom Boom, etc. and that evening was no different. We had a BALL. Sade SANG HER FACE OFF! It was an amazing show. As a thespian, the videography on the jumbotrons wasn't just a running display of what those of us in the cheap seats couldn't see from way up in the crow's nest it was a mini-movie. There had to be AT LEAST a thousand lighting cues. The stage raised, lowered, tilted, opened, there were gobos galore, screens that draped down and transported us all to a proper English road in the countryside. From beginning to end it was a COMEBACK of epic proportions. And with that said, I will allow you to enjoy a few shots from the show.