Kendra Black at Mercury Lounge presents her first EP in front of an ecstatic crowd

Livein Magazine, with its crew, thanks to the collaboration with EMPKT PR and Beatrice Kimmel, had the opportunity to attend the concert with which Kendra Black presented her first EP and started the promotional tour that will bring her all over the Country.

The gig took place at the historic East Village venue Mercury Lounge, still nowadays the stage where it is possible to listen to great alternative music and long-running rock, punk, indie, and electronic formations along with new fresh and young bands. Kendra is no exception: the young and sensual talent – who started her artistic career as a classical ballerina and then gradually moved to jazz and contemporary dance – found in contemporary music, especially pop and hip-hop music, the way to express herself spontaneously. And she is phenomenal.

Always accompanied by dynamic and sexy choreographies, Kendra’s performances hit the crowd with her distinctive voice and addictive groove, inspired by the newest trends in R&B and spiced-up with arrangements from some of the hottest LA producers.

It was indeed thanks to one of her producers that Kendra got in touch with rap and hip-hop living legend Snoop Dogg, who agreed to collaborate with her on her hit “Rude”: the piece is an intriguing mix of the newest trends in hip-hop and some old-style “West Coast” arrangement. The duo between Snoop and Kendra works great, and the chemistry of the hit immediately gets you.

The concert flows over the night smoothly: the crowd is excited, the hall is saturated with good energy, and Kendra shows her artistic maturity (despite the young age) perfectly handling the stage, alternating choreographies with the group and solo performances, or a vibrant duo with her producer Lachi. The night's gem was the presentation of the new single hit “Dangerless,” which marks Kendra’s new trend, more focused on idioms and intimate exploration of sounds.

The concert ended with Kendra announcing her tour and saluting her cheering fans. A fun night of great music. We will continue to follow Kendra Black during her tour and, if you want to know more about her, you can watch the exclusive video interview that Kendra granted us before her exhibition at the Mercury Lounge.

Article and photos by Joseph Ralph Fraia