Tamia CI kick off party

After Eden, I headed across town to another CIAA weekend kickoff party: the Tamia concert at Tempo nightclub on Wilkinson Boulevard.
I stopped by the club earlier that evening for a VIP reception. At 8 p.m., a line stretched into the parking lot. When I returned about 9:30 p.m., fans crowded the stage.
In a phone interview, Tamia promised to give fans a real R&B show, and she did on Sunday. Accompanied by a full band and background singers who doubled as dancers, Tamia gave fans a show packed with danceable tunes and pearl-clutching sad songs.
She sang her new tune “Too Grown,” as well as favorites “Can’t Get Enough,” “Spend My Life,” and “Stranger In My House."
Surprisingly, the woman who said in an interview that she was too old for the booty-shake music unleashed a booty-shake instrumental medley. She sang a bit of “SexyBack,” and she and band members did the motorcycle dance and walked it out. It lasted for a hot-minute and provided a nice break from her mellow grooves.

After the show, Tamia said she was genuinely surprised and thankful that so many audience members bought her independently released CD “Between Friends.” She said Charlotte’s crowd was one of the best – for real.
The Tamia show and the Exodus band were CIAA weekend warm-ups. Tonight, the big parties begin.