H.E.R. @ The Met, Pennsylvania (23.10.21)

December 20, 2021 Steve Trager RnB

There are artists in the contemporary genre’ of RNB who have not only taken the world of music by storm but have enlightened countless generations with their music in the shortest amount of time making their brand more than just a blaze of fiery passion with lyrics and melodies captivating our hearts in a single heartbeat through a gift of greatness through music. Many artists have created quite a buzz in a lifetime but very few have created such limelight in a handful of years other than the likes of Gabriella Watson, who is just professionally known to the world as H.E.R., boldly standing for Having Everything Revealed through music.

Seems like just yesterday, H.E.R. branded a unique style with just one EP in 2019 clinching Grammys, yet just touching the mere surface with releasing a full-length recording in 2021 setting a monumental breakout artist during her first national tour. Perhaps the phrase catches an artist before they make it big only applies to ones that you never heard of, well this time around that phrase certainly adapts to H.E.R. performing in Philadelphia at The Met to a sold-out show. Just how popular was this event? Having to park a number of blocks away and hike definitely gives you an idea of an artist’s likeable popularity in a short amount of time.

Bringing along some great opening artist sometimes gives you either a yawn or wow factor, having to be subjected to a bunch of no-names running through quick sets way before the headliner. It was certainly the wow factor with not one but two stellar artists, one being RnB sensation Maeta from Indiana and another being local favourite Tone Stith hailing from the backyards of New Jersey, did more than just set the tone for what seemed to be a great evening of music. Loved them both, and they certainly fit right in with this tour.

With the lights still dim and the music of her band already in full upbeat energised mode, I could easily tell this was going to be a great show with a long list of songs opening up with ‘We’re Going Crazy ‘ running through 21 stellar captivating songs to which she featured playing the bass guitar at one point and sitting right behind a set of drums pounding away for a brief moment to a blistering rendition of Lenny Kravitz’s ‘Are You Going My Way? ‘ where she killed it on guitar midway to the near end of her show. Every single song in her set she can definitely connect with the fans, and she certainly delivers that absolute wow me factor as she reminded me of a multi-talented 21st-century Prince who isn’t just a performer or songwriter, she is a stellar individual all moulded into one as I couldn’t stop to take my eyes off the stage for a brief second. She was beyond great.

This was one show to make every other show fall waist side in 2021. For the short amount of live entertainment we have had from late summer to the end of the year, this artist is certainly making a fire under her belt of music by having a great show in an intimate setting at The Met. If you missed out on this show, you missed one to go into the concert books for anyone racking up a great resume’ full of artists they have never seen before. Thinking outside our comfort zone leaves an open door to discover a variety of great artists such as H.E.R. with a Philly debut show.