September is off to a great start for Philadelphia. The beloved football team took home their first win of the season on Sunday and the city has recently been blessed with a plethora of incredible artists stopping in the city to bring their music to life. Last night (September 12) was no exception as the soon-to-be-legendary soul act Jalen N’Gonda and his band took over the narrow second floor of Milkboy in the city of brotherly love. N’Gonda recently released his jaw-dropping debut album, Come Around and Love Me, a stunning set of classic soul with soaring harmonies and picturesque arrangements. The young artist took his sweet time crooning through select cuts from his stellar debut along with plenty of passionate covers to change the atmosphere of Milkboy to a musical paradise.
Milkboy is part restaurant, part music venue. The story begins nearly twenty years ago when Milkboy the Studio opened in the city. The flagship recording studio welcomed plenty of legends and spawned this unassuming center city location that is home to a quaint restaurant and bar on the first floor with the true essence of the restaurant taking place upstairs. After finding your way through the candle-lit first floor you take a sharp left to hit a flight of stairs. Up them is a small standing-room-only venue that, for some reason, felt just like home. The charming little room boasts a full bar and a tiny stage just behind the stage. Last night the stage featured a drum set, keyboards, bass, and Jalen N’Gonda’s guitar, the four main ingredients to an unforgettable performance.
N’Gonda and his band strutted through the crowd to the stage and wasted no time. The band immediately launched into “Rapture”, the groovy outro to his aforementioned debut. N’Gonda is a rock star, his stage presence is demanding but not abrasive as the room quickly silenced and all eyes were on the future superstar. The chemistry between N’Gonda and his band was infectious, they ran through stand-outs like Come Around and Love Me’s title track, “Lost”, and “Please Show Me”. How fresh the album is might’ve influenced this setlist in the best way possible with Ngonda not hesitating to show love to B-sides like “What a Difference She Made” and “It Takes a Fool”.
N’Gonda’s guitar work was the true star of the show. His ability to switch between heaven-sent falsettos and blazing guitar solos was the work of an artist who has seemingly mastered his craft. Along with the album, N’Gonda didn’t shy away from running through some classic soul records with his own twist. The highlight of these covers was his performance of Smokey Robinson’s “Special Occasion” with the rawness of N’Gonda’s live vocals juxtaposing the expert playing of the band for a stunning rendition of this classic. The band also performed “Day by Day” by Eddie Kendricks and Gene Chandler’s “After The Laughter”. N’Gonda stayed on stage for a quick encore which included “So Glad I Found You” and “If You Don’t Want My Love”.
Along with an undeniably impressive debut album in Come Around And Love Me, Jalen N’Gonda puts on an equally unforgettable live show. With his takeover of Milkboy in Philadelphia, no one left the room without their jaw on the floor and no one will forget the name N’Gonda anytime soon.
