REVIEW: SAMANTHA HILSENROD | I am a big fan of Cody ChestnuTT’s socially conscious neo-soul. A throwback to ’70s-era artists such as Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, ChestnuTT is unafraid to discuss the realities of urban life for African Americans as well as examine broader issues that affect both white and black audiences. His 2012 release Landing on A Hundred impressed me thoroughly, and I was excited to see ChestnuTT at Tipitina’s this past Wednesday.
However, I felt ChestnuTT left a lot to be desired. He focused the majority of his set on poppy, upbeat numbers that failed to hint at the insight I found so compelling in much of his work. Wearing his signature hard hat, ChestnuTT nevertheless put on a high-energy, theatrical performance. He was obviously extremely connected to his music, dancing and shaking like a skinny, modern-day James Brown. His vocals were crisp and clear, and his band exhibited tight, high quality musicianship.
Still, the first half of the set left me waiting for a song that would really move me, which was absolutely the opposite of what I was expecting from ChestnuTT. The show did get a little more interesting when ChestnuTT began performing work from his album Headphone Masterpiece. Both songs, “Black Skin No Value” and “Under the Spell No Hand,” discussed gripping themes that departed from the earlier pieces that seemed to focus more on love and bubblegum. This was the Cody ChestnuTT I had come to see.
ChestnuTT ended the set on a high note, playing a few more moving numbers. “What Kind of Cool (Will We Think of Next),” a thought-provoking indictment against the superficial in today’s culture and a stand out track from Waiting on a Hundred, was my favorite performance of the night.
On “Love is More than A Wedding Day,” ChestnuTT launched into a highly personal, half-sung monologue detailing his recent trials with his wife, while his band improvised some jazzy interludes. He then bade the crowd goodnight, leaving everyone wanting more.
He came back shortly for an encore, playing my personal favorite, “I’ve Been Life,” a funky, powerful piece. Still, I left the show disappointed, feeling that the majority of the set was generic filler and wishing that ChestnuTT had given the audience a larger dose of what makes him an artist with a voice.
