PHOTOS: Andra Day takes fans to church with a cathartic, tears-inducing performance at Warwick in Hollywood

Andra Day might be the only person to get me out in the 5 p.m. Hollywood traffic without argument, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. This past Friday evening, I made the trek to the first event in Amazon Music’s “Forever the Influence,” a celebration of Black Music Month from Rotation, the hip-hop and R&B brand series featuring none other than incomparable talent Miss Andra Day.

For a little over 60 minutes, a crowd of less than 100 packed into Warwick’s cherry-blossom-adorned palace to experience the soul-stirring voice of one of today’s most talented jazz and contemporary R&B voices.

Giving the crowd a sampling of her new album titled “CASSANDRA (cherith)” and a few fan favorites, the evening air was filled with songs about spinning the block on past relationships that the heart isn’t ready to let go of and coming one’s self-worth. I heard a mash-up of her song “Narcos” that mixed seamlessly with a cover of “Bag Lady” by Erykah Badu, thanks to her remarkable band, and watched as the couple next to me danced to a few new favorites in my rotation. Make sure to add “Gold,” “Maybe Next Time,” and “Chasing” to your playlist.

But amongst all the beautiful moments, one of my highlights comes from her ending songs, “Still/Thank You God.” You didn’t need to be religious to feel the power of this song. As Andra Day says in the song, “Still feels real.” It feels ethereal. It feels meditative. Filled with affirmations on who you are, how grateful you are for what you have, and where you have been, this might be my favorite song of the year.

While Day’s mother wasn’t in attendance to perform the song with her, her voice echoed through the room as she read a passage from Psalms. The song took the room to other places. Our Chakaras rose high, and our hearts opened wide. It was a beautiful moment away from the dread that we all feel reading the news every day or just living in an ever-changing world. I think everyone felt a sense of synesthesia at that moment. There was so much peace in that room.

Andra Day was taking us to church with her vocals. Those hymns. The riffs. What a blessing.

She ended the performance with “Rise Up,” and a beautiful woman who had been standing beside me the whole night wept. When Day caught a glance of the tears streaming down her face, she climbed down from the stage and embraced her in her arms, assuring her that everything would be okay. It was a touching moment, just as the whole performance was.

 I want to say thank you to Andra Day for that moment and countless others throughout the night. Thank you for continuing to sing “Strange Fruit” and honoring Billie Holiday’s legacy. Thank you for using a global platform like Amazon Music to be vocal about the happenings in Palestine and Congo. Thank you for reminding us to “[not] let them tell you [that] you’re crazy. You just love hard.” Thank you for wearing your heart on your sleeves and being as real as possible on that intimate stage. 

Thank you for a beautiful performance.

Photos & Words by Asha Moné

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