Reggie Williams is lucky. He has charisma, talent, and a rare, plain ol' kindness; this combo makes him special. His laid-back attitude makes it pretty damn apparent that Williams hasn't been affected by the insidious illness "lead singer syndrome," otherwise known as LSS. Williams personally went to every member of the four bands that performed before him last night at the Talent Farm, shook their hands, and complimented them on their performances.
The band members indeed recognized what a cool dude Williams was. "Reggie make your booty gooooo," crooned the lead singer of We Are One during their acoustic rendition of the "Thong Song." "We really do love Reggie," they gushed at the end of their set.
Reggtables, as he was called in high school, performed humbly in sweats, a T-shirt, and no shoes. When asked why he performed barefoot, Williams said "I'm closer to the ground this way. I feel more grounded, rooted."
And Williams did manage to stay rooted, even when a large group of people flooded in, he merely smiled and remained humble. With a John Mayer feel, sans the promiscuity and fedora, Williams opened with his original "You Make Me Feel Something." The acoustic jazzy performance continued with more original songs like and "Moving On," "I Want to Live," and "Change." He also played some covers like Allen Stone's "Unaware" and "Pusher Love Girl" by Justin Timberlake. Williams even got called back for an encore. "Cool, alright," he smiled when everyone clapped, whistled, and whooped. "Instant feedback, I can dig it."
The gritty Talent Farm may not have provided the most glamorous setup, but Williams still commanded the room with his smooth voice, deep lyrics, and made magic. Humbly, of course. Take notes, aspiring musicians.
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