4/15 - Dennis Lloyd lights up the El Rey

Dennis Lloyd took a break from the glitz and glam of Coachella to come by the beautiful El Rey Theatre and light up the stage in an intimate, yet bumpin' performance. With just a drummer and a saxophone performing beside him, Dennis Lloyd was able to showcase his musical talent through multiple facets. His vocal prowess was on display all night with the catchy hooks and somber lyrics characteristic of all his hits. His voice pulls you in, so that before you know it you're yelling profanities to the sky and commiserating with him over the pain of past relationships. In addition, he exhibited immense skill at the Trumpet, providing a unique spice to portions of each song that paired perfectly with the tasty saxophone. Lastly, he surprised me with ability at the guitar that I had not seen coming. While most of the guitar work was fairly simple, he played a few riffs that showed he wasn't messing around. I admit that at first I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't a dedicated guitarist or keys, but Dennis's performance on the guitar offset some of that concern. And you can't help but admire the guy for getting on stage and performing on three different instruments.

Dennis shared a story about the naysayers in high school that kept him from singing for a long time. That timid version of Dennis was hard to imagine when compared with the confident shirtless performer standing on stage in front of us, but the lesson holds true regardless. Never be ashamed of your individuality, embrace it. Not every day do you see an Israeli performing to a sold out El Rey, but after Dennis Lloyd's performance, I wish it would happen a lot more often.

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Original Recommendation:

Artist: Dennis Lloyd

When & Where:  4/15 @ The El Rey

Price: $25 before fees

Songs to Check Out: Nevermind, Leftovers, Never Go Back, Analyzing

Opening Acts: Ryan Coreaveo

Vibes~ Chill, dance-y, upbeat, liquid, pulse, groovy, and a tough of hip-hop

Similar Artists:  NoMBE, Tom Walker, Bishop Briggs, Lewis Del Mar

Kim's Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐out of 5

Kee's Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐out of 5