Miguel, Bilal, & Donnis Captivate Canal Room

The crowd was bombarded with a multi-genre kick during the Hennessy Artistry Series last night at Canal Room in New York City. As Henny and apple juice was passed around, throngs of music enthusiasts enjoyed the sounds of singers Erin Christine, Miguel, and Bilal, and rapper Donnis.

Before Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg grabbed the mic for the night’s hosting duties, DJ Quiz regulated the turntables with a nostalgic mix of Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg, and Biggie. Then soul-pop newcomer Erin Christine jumped on stage, projecting with “Leave Me Alone” and “Green Lights.” A fervent “Homesick” followed by “Say” made unfamiliar listeners take note.

Donnis kept things running, making the audience empathetic with “I Made It,” before performing his single “Gone.” The buzzworthy rapper ripped through “Outta Here,” before freestyling on bad break-ups and ending with “Tonight.”

Miguel turned up the heat, and the audience was excited for his funky tune “Sure Thing,” the next single off All I Want Is You. He only had to do a few jumps to get the crowd feeling right. “Strawberry Amazing” came before the pulse-raising single “All I Want Is You.”

Headliner Bilal, with 88-Keys on the turntables, performed cuts from his new album Airtight’s Revenge as well as “Something to Hold On To” and “What Is Love.” The eclectic night ended up satiating the senses.

–Tanya Remekie