It’s always good to see artists who have paid their dues receive their well-deserved flowers. Durand Bernarr is one such artist who has put in major work over the years, and his talent and dedication have taken him far. He’s gone from background vocalist to headliner on his You Gon’ Grow, Too Tour in support of his new album BLOOM. Bernarr brought the tour to The Fillmore Silver Spring and performed for a sold-out DMV audience that was on ten for the entire time he graced the stage.
Durand was not alone this night. His openers, The Voice finalist Desz and D.C. native YahZarah, delivered solid performances. Both ladies did more than their part to get the crowd pumped up for the main event.
The show started promptly, and first up was Desz. The audience immediately gravitated towards her as she opened her 20-minute set with a lively rendition of Missy Elliott’s “Sock It 2 Me.” With powerful vocals and a positive vibe, she closed out her set with an unreleased song inspired by her grandmother, which implores listeners to simply do what they want to do in life.
Next to take the stage was YahZarah, and take the stage she did! Rocking a sexy, pink sequined mini-dress with slits to her waist and black knee-high boots, the petite powerhouse let the crowd know she did not come to play but to slay.
She kicked off her 30-minute set with the electric guitar-heavy banger “LEGEND,” from her most recent album “The Ceremony.” YahZarah gave Tina Turner tease as she tore the song up, and got concertgoers to rock out with her. She took it down a few notches with the mellow smooth groove “DRUGS” from the same album, showing off her versatile vocal skills. She then finished her five-song set with her jam “Change Your Mind” and showstoppers “Have A Heart” and “Starship” all from her critically acclaimed third album The Ballad Of Purple St. James.
The stage was now set for the moment the sold-out crowd at The Fillmore was waiting for: The Durand Bernarr experience! His band took their positions on stage, while a brief video played on the big screen behind them. The short film included home movie clips from Durand’s childhood, showing key moments in his upbringing that prepared him for where he is today.
As the video ended, the crowd went crazy when they saw a silhouette that appeared to be Durand on stage. Their assumptions were confirmed as the lights came up, and Durand stood there dressed in a white tank, khaki overalls and white sneakers. He got things going with the bop “Must Be Nice” from his GRAMMY-nominated project En Route. The crowd even joined in with a little call-and-response, shouting “It is!” whenever he sang the lyrics “Must be nice.”
With the audience sufficiently hyped up, Bernarr and the band hit them with more cuts from En Route. He kept it funky with “Fist Bump” and continued showing off his amazing vocal range on “GPS” and “Unknown.” He commanded the stage and took time to share his smooth, effortless dance moves to everyone’s delight.
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Durand took a short break, and the screen lit up once again, this time with a video introduced by his good friend Terrell Grice, creator and host of the extremely popular The TERRELL Show on YouTube. Hilarious clips of Durand’s multiple appearances on The TERRELL Show over the years played onscreen.
Bernarr emerged from his break donning a burgundy choir robe, and got the venue turnt with up-tempo house tracks “READY!,” “Huh, Who?” and “O.C.S.” all from his 2024 collab album Charlie Vettuno Presents...Where In The World Is Carmen Randiego?!, with the songwriter/producer duo Charlie Vettuno. The audience was feeling it, and no one could stand still. To close out this portion of his show, Durand sang a medley of songs, including “Leveled,” “STUCK.,” “Boundaries” and “Mango Butter.”
- Advertisement -Durand took a few minutes for a wardrobe change and came back out dressed in a light green sleeveless gown and white boots. He chose a lucky audience member to join him on stage, and they both sat on chairs as he sang “Jump” from BLOOM. Once again, the crowd ate it up. Durand then brought his 90-minute show home with more songs from his newest album, including “Unspoken,” “Overqualified” and “Flounce.” He introduced his amazing band before thanking Desz, YahZarah and attendees for all their love and energy before finishing with “Home Alone.”
As Durand declared at the end of his opening video clip, he is an experience! His immense talent and stage presence was on full display, and he sprinkled positive affirmations and words to live by throughout his outstanding performance. Durand Bernarr’s You Gon’ Grow, Too Tour is a must-see when he brings it to your city.
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