At Erykah Badu’s concert, vibing it out with her soldiers

Last Saturday, at Erykah Badu’s concert, a few loose personal ends finally got tied up. After zoning out, watching, dancing, and vibing it out to the neo soul goddess singing her classics “On and On…& On”, “I want you,” Love of my life”, and “Tyrone” to name a few, I stood still entranced as she closed the concert with an acapella of a poetic mishmash. It sounded like a prayer, and I felt: This. This is what music is all about. It’s hearing an artist take a piece of their soul and you, the listener receiving it.

I’ve always loved music. Growing up in the ‘90s, I liked and listened to a lot of genres and artists – Spice Girls, Bred, Deftones, Jeff Buckley, Pearl Jam, Lauryn Hill, Erkah Badu, FrancisM. I didn’t think it unusual to be able to vibe out on different things, until high school defined the hierarchies of cool.

There were discriminating stereotypes and I never quite fit into any of the labels. There came a point when I felt like I had a serious identity crisis. I felt like a dangling participle. I felt like a glitch.

Photos: Art Oca

But on Saturday, at the last stop of Erykah Badu VS Everythang Tour 2017 A.D., I realized, I was alright. Because music was never about limiting oneself with just one genre, or hanging out with the cool kids, or belonging to a clique.

Part of her 20th anniversary tour, the concert was sweet, soulful, mystical and gangsta all at once. Badu’s too black to be white and too white to be black. But she was so comfortable and confident with this ambiguity.

She owned her eccentricity, reminding me that it’s alright to be who you are, even if that means you don’t fit in a pack, even if society doesn’t get you. She doesn't give a sh** and being around that energy is so empowering.

Badu’s set was a beautiful sonic hodgepodge of some of her hit songs. She opened with the melody of “Tyrone”, but didn’t finish it and gracefully transitioned to “Hello”, which she also didn’t finish.

The first song she finished was “Out My Mind, Just in Time.” Then, she sang “On and On” and “… & On” and I quickly zoned out, enchanted by the groove of the bass and the magic of Badu’s voice.

Then she performed these other songs in a dazed chronological order: “Love of my life”, “Apple Tree”, “Umm Hmm”, “I want you”, “Danger”, “Next Lifetime”, “Soldier.”

Of course, there was an encore. She returned to “Tyrone”–the song she didn’t finish when she opened the concert—in a completely gorgeous and glorious save-the-best-for-last, coming-in-full-circle act.

And as an amen, Badu closed by reciting a mishmash of her lyrics, like a priestess on a trance, saying a high prayer. 

I was hoping she’d sing my favorites like “Back in the Day”, “Didn't Cha Know”, “In Love with You” and “Annie Don’t Wear No Panties” but her jokes, abrupt improvisations and socio-political commentaries made the concert feel personal, intimate, and complete.

Rather unexpectedly, kids who grew up in the ‘90s didn’t dominate the crowd that evening. Instead, there were four generations of Badu fans singing their hearts out and dancing as though no one’s watching. We were raising our hands like we we’re in a church worship. When Badu said, we'd say “Yesireeeee”. What does that even mean? We we’re doing everything she says, like soldiers following orders.

A mix of high-profile celebrities, musicians, artists, models, rappers, professionals and foreigners were in the crowd. I was surprised to see Rico Blanco and Sarah Geronimo in the crowd because like others, I subconsciously pigeonholed them as “rock” and “pop.” The demographic mélange proved that Badu transcends genres and tastes.

“She’s my teacher,” award-winning pinoy soul vocalist Kat Arragado said on stage as she welcomed Badu. “Same here,” Chocolate Grass singer August Wahh concurred. I can imagine June Marieezy’s nodding in unison somewhere.

Indeed, Badu is a cultural force in the Philippines, the inspiration of the Pinoy Soul Movement, and the muse of the underground hip-hop community. But for some people like me, she’s a constant reminder that it’s beautiful to be different, that it’s okay to be misunderstood and be wrong. It’s alright to be you. Chill and let go. You’re a soldier of life no matter what. — LA, GMA News