Coming from Florida, Isaiah Falls is not used to the cold in Berlin. There’s simply only one thing to do: turn up the heat inside Privatclub Berlin and make the venue feel like home. Longtime collaborator, DJ and producer Icee Red knows exactly how to raise the temperature in the room. Before Isaiah and his band enter the stage, he takes on the role of warming up the crowd. He plays all the R&B greats, from classics by Usher and Ginuwine to award-winning music by Kehlani. It perfectly sets the tone and leaves no question that Isaiah belongs among these artists.
The red-draped curtains might just be a decorative backdrop, but the cinematic instrumental on ‘FLORIDA BOY’ has us imagining them opening to reveal the stage. We take it nice and slow as we move on to the sultry ‘TABOO’. His falsetto voice flows smoothly over the traditional R&B, finger-snap triggering, production. Icee Red clearly did an excellent job getting the audience in the mood. Every word of the chorus is sung back to Isaiah in beautiful harmony.
We go back and forth between perfect mid-tempo songs with romantic and seductive vibes and up-tempo tracks that keep the energy going. The laid-back grooves on ‘BACK IN MY ARMS’ and ‘PLAY YA CARDS’ see the singer playfully bring out the flirtatious side of his voice. On the up-tempo ‘TRICK DADDY’ and ‘OUT THE GAME’, he approaches his singing almost like rapping, blending his voice into the beat itself. The confidence coming through the heavier rhythms sets the Florida mood.
The room is fully turnt up, with his fans bringing all the energy for Isaiah Falls and his band, Luxury Lane. The foursome, consisting of guitar, keys, bass and DJ, are the men behind the production of his music. Who better than the production team themselves to join you on stage? They live and breathe the music and can perfectly translate the studio sound to the stage. You can feel the brotherhood up there. The way they are locked in together is the result of years of collaborating.
His song ‘NIGHT OFF’ with Sasha Keable makes for the perfect moment to connect with his audience. Isaiah looks into the crowd, finding that one fan that is confident enough to join him on stage and sing Sasha’s part of the song. The two convince the crowd that this collaboration was meant to be, with the ease with which their chemistry comes to life. The lack of guest artists is suddenly forgiven when you have a room packed with people who know every word to your songs willing to come on stage to fill in the gaps. It beautifully shows the connection he has with his loyal fans.
Isaiah saves the best for last. All his biggest hits are comfortably sitting towards the end of his show. The crowd’s loud reaction to each of these songs proves why these three represent each stage of his career to date. ‘FLORIDA BABY’ is the fan favorite from his Drugs n’ Lullabies project, his Joyce Wrice collaboration ‘BUTTERFLIES’ showcases his LVRS PARADISE era, and ‘BROWN SUGAH’ transports us back to the LUCKY YOU days. The latter does an excellent job of bringing the show to a full-circle ending. Isaiah persuades his fans to repeatedly sing ‘Brown sugah, brown sugah, brown sugah’ as his personal choir, setting the perfect soundtrack for his exit from the stage.
Isaiah and his band cement themselves in the R&B genre with tonight’s performance. The evening comes with all the right ingredients: smooth and melodic songwriting, laid-back R&B grooves, a crowd hyping them up with every falsetto note, and that distinctive Florida feel.
