New Orleans native Jon Batiste played his heart out to a sold-out crowd at The Sylvee on Feb. 24. Batiste’s constant smiles and gospel shouts made for a truly memorable experience.
Batiste is on tour for his Grammy-nominated album “World Music Radio," released on Aug. 18. Batiste was nominated for six Grammys, including Song of the Year for his collaboration with Lana Del Rey on “Candy Necklaces.”
The stage setup consisted of studio-like recording equipment and a sky-blue backdrop decorated with a butterfly. The lights dimmed at the start of the show, and the crowd was thrown into a musical plane that instantly transcended reality. Batiste ran onstage playing a purple telecaster and donning a magenta suit after the band jammed for a few minutes.
Batiste and his band opened up with the soul-filled anthem “FREEDOM” from his 2021 Grammy-winning album “We Are.” Batiste easily transitioned between instruments, starting a song on the guitar, playing some notes on a synthesizer midway through and finishing back on the guitar.
A unique change in tone came when Batiste performed his afrobeat-influenced track “Worship” from “World Music Radio.” This is where the production of the show shined through — the audience was hit with a flurry of multicolored lights as the beat started, and people started jumping around and dancing with joy.
Batiste took a much-anticipated seat behind his jet-black Steinway once the band left the stage. He effortlessly improvised while incorporating recognizable musical motifs that led into songs like Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” and “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”
The highlight of the piano set came when Batiste performed the emotional song “Butterfly” from “World Music Radio.”
Batiste wrote “Butterfly” for his wife, Suleika Jaouad, who is battling leukemia. Toward the end of the song, Batiste called for peace and talked about the importance of love in the world. By the end of the song, some audience members were holding up their arm with their thumb, pointer finger and pinky outstretched to sign ASL for love.
Batiste then walked off stage briefly while his band walked back on. The band jammed while the backup singer introduced each of them. After each respective member did a solo, Batiste emerged wearing a green varsity jacket that had an embroidered “B” on the front while he ferociously played a bright red melodica. The band jumped directly into the soul-filled song “CRY” while Batiste switched between playing the melodica, piano and saxophone. He is truly a musical marvel and inexplicably versatile on stage.
For the encore, Batiste and his band lined up toward the front of the stage to improvise an acoustic set. Batiste played a melody on the melodica and the rest of the band followed suit. They played a cover of “You Are My Sunshine” followed by a cover of The Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly.”
Batiste and his band walked out into the crowd while jamming. Batiste gave high-fives and hugs while playing his melodica. He then walked upstairs to the balcony of The Sylvee and played to the audience while overlooking the first floor.
This encore was the cherry on top of an already memorable evening. Batiste is a musical genius and truly a generational talent. His sheer happiness paired with his love for all things musical made for a one-of-a-kind experience.
