Brian Slattery Photos
Williams.
Anthony Williams, a.k.a. Fashions Prince of Collective Vibe, stood tall on the stage of Terminal 110 Wednesday night before a packed house.
“It’s turn-up time,” he said. “It’s just good vibes. We’re just two-stepping in here.” He was midway through emceeing his eighth installment of R&B Wednesdays at the Long Wharf nightclub, and surveyed the crowd the event had brought — hundreds of people there to have a good time, dance like it was the weekend, and hear what New Haven’s own R&B talent had to offer.
It would end with a throbbing DJ set that was still bringing in throngs of people as midnight approached. But it began with a panoply of performers, from singers and saxophonists to painters and poets, who took to the stage before the large, appreciative crowd.
Saxophonist Corey Staggers appeared early on, guiding the house band — Jeremiah Fuller on keyboards, Brandon Hall on bass, Dwele Core on keytar, and Marcus Johnson on drums — through a trio of songs that showed what Staggers could do on his alto, and what the rest of the band could do when allowed to stretch out on a groove.
KIng.
Singer Scott King offered a set that began with a ballad, proceeded through an uptempo number that got him doing splits on the floor before the whooping crowd, and ended with a vocal improvisation delivered seated, from the edge of the stage. Poet C.C. read from the stage. A singer going by the name of Jaquam went for a straight-up bedroom vibe with a cover and an original, to the delight of the now standing-room-only crowd lining the sides of the room.
Through it all, a painter worked on an easel at the edge of the stage, beginning with an empty canvas and painting until the eyes of a tiger emerged from the colors.
As the room kept filling, singer Dee Davis launched into a smoky cover of Jazmine Sullivan’s “Holding You Down.” She said after she performed that she was nervous, but it didn’t show onstage as she built the song from a simmer to a hard boil, bringing the audience along with her. Singer Liz Dellinger finished off the live part of the evening with a song that had heads bobbing in the band and the audience alike.
By the time the DJ set started, it was like it was already the weekend.
“We have a safe space where everyone can express themselves,” Williams explained in a back room as the place lit up. “Everyone comes in, no matter your nationality, your spirituality, your sexuality.” He noted that the Wednesday night event at Terminal 110, only in its eighth week, has grown quickly, drawing hundreds for its mix of live entertainment and record spinning that is “all R&B, all night.”
Artists interested in performing sign up in advance, first by contacting Williams. (You can call or text 203-901-6809, or email at thecollectivevibect@gmail.com.) Those who are set to appear on Wednesday evening send any songs they’re going to perform to the band ahead of time. “And we all pick up quick,” said drummer Marcus Johnson. At the first R&B Wednesday, the band consisted of just Johnson and Fuller. But like the crowd, the band has grown, and now involves a rotating cast of musicians to keep things tight yet varied week to week.
“It’s like a Friday night club on a Wednesday,” Johnson said. “It’s too much excitement for me,” he joked.
Williams is confident that he can keep the artists coming — both established players like Staggers and Dellinger as well as people newer to the stage. With the crowd likely to get bigger with warmer weather, which allows Terminal 110 to open its patio, Williams hopes to establish R&B Wednesdays as a fixture of the state’s music scene. From the looks of the club on Wednesday night, he’s well on his way.
“It’s all about the talent,” he said. “It’s all about building the culture, one step at a time.”
R&B Wednesdays happens every Wednesday at Terminal 110, 240 Sargent Dr. Doors open at 8 p.m. Music starts around 9:30. Click here for more information.