Music
Thursday, 03 September 2009 07:09
Written by Jenn Chan Lyman

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Sweet midweek madness begins at this Xintiandi live music joint

In an effort not to be the jazz dork sitting alone in a dark bar for one night out of the week, this Wednesday I invited my girlfriends out for Ladies’ Night at Brown Sugar. A bevy of girls dressed to the nines and free champagne until midnight – what could go wrong?

We arrive a bit early, nine o’ clock early, to make sure we have a seat in front of the bandstand before the crowds of decked out ladies roll in. The night commences civilly. 9:30 hits and the house band kicks off with the regular players: Wink, fluid on his sax, Scott Dodd, steady on his bass, Nick McBride, strong yet subtle on the drums, and a happy Sean Higgins manning a double-deck of keyboards. The only change tonight from other nights at Brown Sugar is vocalist Meachie Day, looking spry in a black fedora as he strides on stage after the opening instrumental.

Meachie radiates a warm Southern vibe throughout the first set, singing recognizable R&B standards that make you want to fall in love with your old lady all over again. I would have expected more fluttering eyelash action at the tables in the front but the seated patrons are fairly subdued and involved with their cigars. Perhaps there just aren’t enough girls here yet. The band channels their energy from within as Wink solos with his heart and Scott feels the bass line with one knee up.

Meachie takes a nostalgic ‘Georgia On My Mind’ on his arm, tipping his hat to the blues, and Sean Higgins breaks it down with a rolling solo. At the end of the song, Meachie does a ‘360 turn and kneel’ move, bringing Georgia soul straight to Shanghai. The fairly stiff folks at the tables are melting just a little bit now and the bar is beginning to draw a younger crowd. “Now, we’re gonna take you back in time,” says Meachie as he introduces the next tune. Wink teases the audience with a soulful intro on the lip of the stage, and someone in the crowd (it might have been me) gives a whoop! of recognition right before Meachie launches in, “Time can never mend...” Holy shit! ‘Careless Whispers'?! Awesome. I’m thirteen years old again awkwardly attempting to slow dance.

Nick McBride brings the beat to a more energetic level with ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ and the room’s getting comfortable. Meachie and Wink kick off ‘Stand By Me’ with “This is the sound of a man working on a chain...sound of a man working on a chain...” and more ladies are sashaying through the room. These ‘Beautiful Girls’ have got Meachie “suicidal, suicidal,” and by the close of the first set hips are swaying and the air’s less tense.

Intermission rocks many genres, with 'Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia),' Gwen Stefani-ish pop rock, and ‘Who Let the Dogs Out.’ The crowd seems to dig it. There’s something sexy and mischievous about the vibe here, except for the wall-flowers standing on the sidelines undressing the ladies with their eyes or looking just plain creepy. Shudder.

The dance floor is really moving by the start of the second set as the band takes off with ‘Love On The Run.’ It’s 10:49 and Ladies’ Night is on. Sadly, and happily, my account ends here as the night soon becomes a lovely, bubbly blur. Props to Kevin at the bar for keeping us ladies liquored. Definitely the best night I’ve witnessed at Brown Sugar yet.

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