October London and Tamar Braxton’s joint The October Nights: Calling All Lovers Tour, presented by the Black Promoters Collective, has drawn enthusiastic crowds in each city since beginning mid-April. The recent tour stop at the Chesapeake Employees Insurance Arena in Baltimore was no exception. R&B lovers came out in droves to see performances by London, Braxton, Ro James and Joe Leone.
Kicking off the night was bonus opener Joe Leone, a singer signed to Eric Benét’s indie label JBR Creative Group. During his brief but impressive set, he sang and played keyboards while engaging with concertgoers settling in for the show. He notably performed a cover of The Doobie Brothers classic “Long Train Runnin’” before finishing with his brand-new single, a soulful mid-tempo cut entitled “Discipline.” Though many in the audience were probably not hip to him initially, Leone maximized his moment on stage and likely left with more fans than he started with.
With attendees sufficiently warmed up, Ro James pounced onto the stage rocking an eye-catching leopard-print sports jacket paired with blue jeans and black shades, which he briefly removed to stare the women in the audience down. Ro’s sole mission was to please the ladies, and he did an excellent job of that during his roughly 25-minute set. He sang his most recent single, “Platonic,” and two of his most popular hits from his debut album ELDORADO. He charmed Charm City with “Burn Slow” before building up to his GRAMMY-nominated jam “Permission.” The crowd was all in and gave Ro the green light.
After a brief break to allow the crew to prepare the stage, it was Tamar time. Hailing from nearby Severn, Maryland, this was a homecoming for the youngest Braxton sibling. There were tables on each side of the stage to allow family and VIP fans to witness her performance up close and personal. Her father and son were in attendance, and Tamar gave them both the proper introductions, much to the crowd’s delight.
Concertgoers were visibly amped up as the house lights dimmed, and Tamar emerged from the shadows as the lights came up. She looked incredible dressed in a black jacket accented by feathers, fishnets and black pumps. She greeted the crowd, told them it felt good to be back home and thanked October London for having her on the tour. She also told the audience she has been listening to her fans’ feedback to sing more and talk less, and she did just that.
She opened with the reggae-inspired track “Angels & Demons” from her 2015 album Calling All Lovers, and the audience ate it up. Tamar’s voice has always been powerful, and she showed no signs of losing any of that power while singing songs like “The One” from her sophomore album Love And War. Her Tamartians on stage and all over the arena showed their love and appreciation.
Tamar took time during her set to honor her beloved sister Traci Braxton, who passed away a little more than three years ago. She had a photo of Traci on stage and played her song “Last Call” as the audience also paid their respects. Tamar finished big with her biggest hit “Love And War.” She gave her VIP guests on stage some shine, allowing them to sing parts of the song. The audience loved that interactive segment. Tamar circled back to finish out the song and her impressive performance.
Headliner October London made his way to the stage in typical October fashion. He looked like a sharp-dressed playboy donning a well-tailored gray and burgundy plaid suit, his trademark sunglasses and topcoat. He walked out flanked by two members of the talented trio The Shindellas, who have been singing background vocals for London since joining him on The Rebirth Of Marvin Tour.
- Advertisement -October’s band got in the groove as the set began with the haunting ballad “Slander My Name” from his October Nights album. Ever the epitome of old-school cool, he periodically sipped some brown liquor from his signature cocktail glass in between selections. The brown liquor in question was his brand of luxury bourbon, which he made sure to pitch to the audience.
He then eased into his The Rebirth Of Marvin’s smooth jam “Mulholland Drive,” and the crowd’s excitement went to the next level. Their energy stayed high throughout his set that featured songs from both of his albums, including the mid-tempo joint “She Keeps Calling Me,” which samples the iconic Stylistics classic “Hurry Up This Way Again,” and the Boney James-featuring smash “All I Want Is You.”
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October took a short break and allowed The Shindellas some time to shine, and they gave the appreciative audience a taste of their stellar vocals and harmonies. They performed “Last Night Was Good For My Soul” from their 2023 Shindo album before finishing their mini-set with a cover of Zhané’s “Hey Mr. DJ.”
London soon returned to close out his performance. He invited a lucky lady on stage and serenaded her with “Lover’s Interlude.” Anticipation was high for his last song, and he gave the people what they wanted with his instant classic “Back To Your Place.” He asked the audience to illuminate the arena with their phones as he began to sing, and many of the women in attendance sang every word of the chorus with him.
- Advertisement -The October Nights: Calling All Lovers Tour was enjoyable from start to finish. The artists delivered solid-to-stellar performances and gave Baltimore many memorable moments. The tour has several more cities on the itinerary before it wraps at the end of the month. If you love R&B as much as we do, then you will not be disappointed.
