Kem and Babyface at the Chaifetz Arena: Review and Setlists

Kem stares into the middle distance.

The past few weeks have been particularly rough on soul music lovers. They have experienced the loss of Etta James, Don Cornelius, and now the incomparable Whitney Houston. The breaking news of Whitney's passing was still fresh in everybody's heads during this weekend's Love and Laughter show at the Chaifetz Arena on Saint Louis University's campus. Without bringing down the mood of the concert, Ricky Smiley, Babyface, and Kem took the opportunity to pay homage to some of our icons who have recently passed on, in the spirit of celebrating their lives and legacies.

Local artist Brittney J started things off promptly at 8:00; with a twenty minute set of Top 40-style r&b. With four background dancers and a repertoire of suggestive choreography at her disposal, the eighteen-year-old singer had plenty of poise and confidence onstage, although her songs may have been better suited for a younger crowd. Her club-ready tracks like "That's How We Roll" and "Body Control" were loud and upbeat, in contrast to the adult contemporary ballads of the evening's other performers.

Shortly after host/comedian Rickey Smiley emerged from backstage, he called for a moment of silence in honor of Whitney Houston before lightening up the mood. Smiley was able to deliver a few laughs during the intermissions -- despite the surprisingly short amount of time he was on stage. The former ComicView host had less than a half an hour total; a little disappointing considering how prominent he was on the billing. His funniest bit was an impromptu fashion show with audience members as the contestants. The winner, whom Smiley called "Bernice Jenkins," won $100 cash for her black fur church ensemble.

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds opened his set around 8:40, with flashing red and blue lights for "It's No Crime." Edmonds wore an all-black suit while his four piece band had more of a Blues Brothers aesthetic (minus the hats). The band played nice and tight, and Babyface still has one of the coolest, most disarming voices in the business, although you could hear him straining a little when he put too much 'stank' on it. The bass player supplied backup vocals on a couple of songs -- which nobody expected --but it worked well.

Things got a little emotional when Babyface paid tribute to Whitney; he became visibly choked-up while recalling the times they worked together before singing "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)," a song he wrote for her. The second half of his set was a medley of songs he'd written for other artists, which was a testament to how influential he was in the music industry during the '80s and '90s. A couple of his biggest records were absent (most notably "Whip Appeal"), but the setlist was still quite satisfying, and his performance was simply amazing.