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Story and photos by Gypsy Davey
With the house lights dimmed, Charles Bradley's Extraordinaires sauntered into
position and proceeded to lay down a super funk groove. Cleansing the palette from the rather
incongruous opener while setting the table for the main course to come. To a barrage
of beats analogous to early Meters' efforts, Bradley breezed in with arms
outstretched as if trying to wrap them around us all. To a slower time signature, he
brought together his open arms 'til his hands clenched the microphone tightly and
showered us with Heartache and Pain. An interesting opener since it stands as the
chosen crescendo to his sole 2011 Daptone Records release, No Time for Dreaming.
Through its swirling gusts of melancholy, Bradley retells his story of hardship and
loss with such acute detail and upfront sincerity that its billowing despair
transcends the singular, connecting us on a level that's universal.
Charles Bradley is the genuine article, embodying a unique blend of soul, with James
Brown stage antics and thick Otis Redding desperation behind each passionate vocal
inflection. At 63 years of age, Bradley and His Extraordinaires put forth a
flavorful performance as powerful as the infamous Apollo Theater recording by the
late Brown himself in '63. Equipped with the full arsenal of hip gyrations, body
pops and mic tricks, Bradley owned the Hall and captivated those present with his
raw emotion. The show consisted of material primarily featured on Bradley's lone
release NTFD, with the exception of a Neil Young cover, "Heart of Gold."
There is coziness present behind his gloom, warmness behind each squall of woeful
torment that seems to resonate with people. The power of Bradley's message comes
from his frankness in delivery, making it familiar to us. Even though our
tribulations are relative to our own experiences, Bradley is able to tap into a vein
towards a higher humanity with a directness that makes him more accessible. In turn,
we all triumph over his past dejections and are able to rejoice in the hope that in
the end dreams really do come true.
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