I had the opportunity to have a day off for once and decided believe it or not to go see live music which I never on my days off. A friend posted on Facebook a fundraising event at the Rutledge LMV and there was a artist on there I had been wanting to see for a few years but never had the chance to so I decided to go. I went early to help support the event but was really only there to see Delana Stevens and The Beggar Saints. I was not disappointed. They were hands and above the best band I saw that night.
Delana brings to the live performance much of what I write in my blogs and am always looking for in a front person and artist. First off let me say she can SING! She is a top-notch singer with a thick voluptuous voice that rocks your face off. Not once did I hear her go out of pitch which here in Nashville I find very rarely especially in the rock scene. She showed up looking like a star unlike many of today’s bands who dress like they are going to K-mart to go shopping instead of being entertainers with a job to do. She brings a ton of energy to the stage working it from side to side and completely owning it. Delana worked the crowd even though it wasn’t huge like this one unfortunately wasn’t. She makes great eye contact, engages the listener and talks to them. In other words, she didn’t treat it like an unimportant gig or act disappointed in the crowd size. Whether it’s 30 people or 3,000 you can tell she treats them all the same. Delana has an easy way about her which helps makes her personable, but when she is up there, she commands the attention and she leaves no doubt that she is a future star.
The Beggar Saints are a very tight and professional straight-ahead rock band. Their performance was crystal clear which is a big plus to me. They leave the spotlight to Delana but are energetic enough to balance out the stage and pick their spots to shine like a band should. The vocal harmonies were tight and clear. The songs were strong and even better live then the recordings in my honest opinion. They lend themselves well to live performance and the hooks are huge. Song after song, the choruses draw you in and you don’t feel like you are listening to the same song over and over again like many bands I have seen. The band performed “Magic Man” by Heart and anyone who is a musician knows how hard it is to cover any song sung by the amazing Ann Wilson but Delana pulled it off powerfully and flawlessly. That alone should tell you how good her voice is enough to draw you out and watch her.
This is one of those scratch your head and wonder why the hell Delana hasn’t been picked up kind of artists. She is certainly of the caliber to be on any stage of any size and can hold her own with anybody else in the business. I am confident, with proper marketing and more shows, Delana has a great shot a major success.
All in all, they put on the best rock show I have seen in Nashville in a long time. All the pieces were there and if you get the chance, check out Delana Stevens and the Beggar Saints. I promise you will love it. I did.
You can find out more about Delana Stevens and the Beggar Saints here:
