Original image by There Stands the Glass.
About 150 grown-and-sexy fans of rarified soul music attended performances by Bilal and Yaya Bey at Star Theater on Sunday, September 20. I was also present. A $45 expenditure placed me in the resplendent room. I may be grown (old) and (un)sexy, but I grooved with Bey and her three-piece band throughout her opening set. And that’s how The Incident occurred.
Having been aware of my enthusiasm, Bey brought me to the stage to sing with her. After my demurals were rejected, everyone in the venue learned that I’m not much of a singer. While spending a minute nose-to-nose with Bey was delightful, my inability to effectively trade licks with the current critical darling was humiliating.
Bilal is only a decade older than Bey but it feels as if his 2001 debut album 1st Born Second came out several decades ago. The man with a spectacular voice has gradually drifted into increasingly esoteric musical terrain, a progression that’s made him a There Stands the Glass mainstay. Bilal’s two 2024 albums, for example, placed at #10 on my Top Albums of 2024 list.
A four-piece band wasn’t quite at the level of frequent Bilal collaborators including Robert Glasper and Questlove, but it was plenty good enough to provide a sympathetic backdrop for the vocalist’s transcendent emoting. The Incident had a mild reprise when Bilal spotted me scowling at his praise for Portland’s dispensaries. I got off with a relatively modest chiding from the indelible talent.