Kindness @ U Street Music Hall [DC] - 11/1/2019
Adam Bainbridge (who identifies as they/them) has found recent success producing for the likes of Robyn, Blood Orange, and Solange, but it’s their output where they can run free with that sound. Something Like a War is a self-produced, self-released dreamy R&B/soul album from Bainbridge, and their first in five years since the excellent Otherness. The live show this time around is decidedly more chill, opting out of drums and saxophones and streamlining it to keys, synths, guitars (from DMV native Starchild), and lots of dreamy vocals from Bainbridge and vocalist AKUA. The night reached is chill-as-fuck dance party peak once they performed “Raise Up” (which was produced by longtime collaborator Phillipe Zdar before his tragic death) and Robyn collaboration “Who Do You Love.”
Kindness at U Street Music Hall (Photo by Mauricio Castro)
Bainbridge showed vulnerability in professing how uncertain they were to put their music out into the world, even in spite of their success producing for some very successful artists. They also had lots of jokes on hand for the moments when guitar straps fell off and synthesizers started acting up. (“Mercury is in reggaeton...or micro braids,” quipped Bainbridge in response.) In return, the crowd showed lots of love for Bainbridge and company, bringing the U Street Music Hall closer together in song and dance.
Kindness’s latest album Something Like A War is out now through Bainbridge’s label Female Energy.
