The R&B star played before a packed house in Alexandria, VA
Ruben Studdard wowed with his voice and stories at the DMV stop on his Masterpiece tour. The second-ever winner of American Idol celebrated the eve of his 47th birthday at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA, on Thursday (Sept 11th).
Studdard has become known for his Luther Vandross-like classic R&B voice. He showed that off from the get-go, opening with a jumpy “The Best Things in Life Are Free.” After powering through two more, Studdard stopped to chat with the crowd.
Under the light musical stylings of his keyboardist, he told his origin story: the military kid born in Frankfurt, raised in Birmingham and singing in church, made famous across the nation in an instant. He then told of taking his mom to the Grammys and running into her celebrity crush on the red carpet: Smokey Robinson. In honor of her, he sang a pitch-perfect “Cruisin’” by Robinson.
The night was almost equal parts stories and music. He talked about Bee Gees week before launching into one of his most beloved Idol offerings, “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.” Because, he said, “It’s my birthday and I wanna sing songs that make me feel good.”
From his own catalogue, the standout was Studdard’s “Change Me,” which seemingly featured his entire range. He blew the roof off the place with his runs and the sheer power of volume in his voice. And when he picked up the pace with another Vandross cover, “Bad Boy/Having a Party,” he had the entire room on their feet. That’s tough to do at the Birchmere, where the long dinner tables tend to stilt physical demonstrations of enjoyment. But he broke the fourth wall.
His three-piece band was tight, but loose in all the right ways. Studdard sets the flow and pace of the songs, as well as the monologues in between. No two shows are the same, and the band follows his lead with expert precision, adapting seamlessly to wherever the performance takes them.
Studdard won American Idol at a time when we had a monoculture. Not fractured by social media bubbles and echo chambers, America decided this was the best all-around singer we had. And that’s still the case. A lady at my table said, “He’s the closest we have to Luther Vandross today.” That may be true, but he’s also made a mark as his own artist. From his R&B career to a recent collaboration with Dove Award-winning pianist Jim Brickman, Studdard continues to play with the music he loves.
Speaking of piano, Studdard told me in an interview at the Birchmere that he’ll be releasing a record of piano music. They will be interpretations of classics, with just the Grammy nominee backed by his longtime keyboardist. The interview will be available soon.
Whatever the future holds for Studdard, whether it be another record or a return to masked competition, his voice will guide him—just like it has for decades.
