I Love You

Ok. Not the best picture, I know. But it's a live one. I was only like 5 people away from her. And she was rockin' me. I went to Joss Stone back in February with DeEtte at a tiny little venue in NYC. She only did 2 promotional shows before the release of her new album, and I went to one of them. This venue could not have held more than a few hundred people. Joss has an incredible mix of innocence and sultry stage presence. It's rather disarming and intriguing.

She had a 11 piece band. It consisted of 3 backup singers (the sista's - and yes he is also a sista), bass guitar, lead and backup guitar, pianist, keyboardist, trumpet, alto sax, and drummer (300 pounds of blinging, low riding, rhythm). The band kicked some serious trash. Joss came out and rocked her new single 'Tell Me About It'. Then she began to groove us with her neo-soul pipes. This 18 year old 6 foot British beauty (bit of an oxymoron) has the voice of a mature Harlem soul singer.

In my entranced and grooving state, I new I had to make contact with her. I waited for one of those moments of quite pause provided when the singer is prepping the audience for the next song. I found my moment and yelled out, "I love you Joss." She looked down in her shy and sexy way and said, "Thanks." Recognition. That's right. Everyone around me stared at me and said, "You just got recognition man. That's special." Dang straight.

We danced and grooved till she left the stage and then clamored until she came back for an encore. She came back with a dozen white roses. She started into a love ballad and then threw out a single rose. Being 6'3" has to count for something but destiny was on my side as I jumped and snagged the flor from the aire.

Joss and I have a special connection. But honestly the best part of the whole show was when she sang 'Right To Be Wrong'. She was rocking the song and we were all loving it. Then right close to when the song usually ends she sings, "Got a right to be wrong..." and she pauses. Everyone is just screaming and shouting. She waits till is starts to quiet and then sings again "Got a right to be wrong..." The crowd goes wild again and she waits for them to quiet down. Guys keep cat calling her so she finally puts her index finger on her lips and the crowd falls deathly silent. Then in her innocent yet provocative way she lightly sings but nearly speaks, "So just leave me.....alone." Then the band breaks back in and Joss starts wailing! They wail on for another 3 minutes of reprise improvey goodness.

mm.

She is going to be in Boston at the Avalon on June 11th. I'm going.