Black Violin: A Show about Breaking Stereotypes
By: Sabriya Andrews
On Saturday, February 19th, I had the opportunity to see the inspiring musical duo Black Violin! With their impressive online following, (over 85k on Instagram) it’s no surprise that the show had such a huge turnout, some even coming from out of state! The show began with a heartfelt melody and a look at where our violinist came from. Kev Marcus and Will B. met as kids and have been friends for 25 years. In middle school the pair would practice Mozart in second period and listen to Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Mary J. Blige on their way to third period. They were always teased for liking violin and told they should play more sports like basketball and football, but they knew music was what made them happy so they stuck with it. Over the years Black Violin has gone on to win Showtime at the Apollo, perform two sold out shows at the Johh F. Kennedy Center for the Preforming Arts for the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, and now they are here at DPAC!
The show continued with a quick introduction to the band, and then more amazing music. The group played electrifying covers of hit songs like Believer by Imagine Dragons and Best Part by Daniel Caesar, and their own original songs like Stereotypes and Virtuoso from their album Classically Trained. After a handful of songs the group played a completely improvised song showcasing each members unbelievable talent. This song is completely different at each venue, which makes each show a unique experience. At end of the improvisation, the duo duked it out in a dramatic violin duel, showing just how well versed they are with their instruments.
The show came to a conclusion with a fun upbeat ensemble of hits like 24K Magic, This Is How We Do It, Poison, and more, all of which had the whole crowd on their feet dancing and having a great time! The group said their thanks, took a bow and even a took a selfie with the audience, and that was the end to another one of my spectacular nights as a DPAC Ambassador!
