Mikky Ekko (the talented young musician hailing from Louisiana), is currently half way through the North American tour for his latest album, Time (via RCA Records). On Saturday, October 17th, Mikky Ekko performed at the Virgin Mobile’s Mod Club (Toronto, Canada) to an intimate and very excited crowd of fans. Ekko is best known for writing the 2013 hit song, Stay, for R&B powerhouse Rihanna. Stay was the first of Ekko’s singles to chart globally.
Transviolet
Transviolet, a relatively new group consisting of four members, was added to Mikky Ekko’s tour following the release of their first EP less than a month ago. They opened the show and got the crowd revved up in preparation for Ekko to take the stage. The female lead vocalist has a powerful and sultry voice that is quite similar to that of London Grammar’s Hannah Reid but with a lot more attitude. Personally, I feel like Transviolet have not collectively decided which direction to stick to in terms of their sound. Some of their songs are quite uptempo and bubbly, and others are slower and sexier. The latter allows listeners to appreciate the strength of the vocals much more.
Mikky Ekko
After a brief intermission (for a set change) and much anticipation, Mikky Ekko finally took the stage. His set list was a winning combination of new tracks from Time and older crowd favourites. The most popular songs of the night were undoubtedly the title track, Time; and, Stay (which he performed for his encore). From start to finish, Ekko’s performance was filled with an obvious and incredible passion which completely captivated the crowd. His voice, good looks, and charm are enough to win over any fan. However, his gratitude was even more endearing. The moments where he would pause for brief dialogue with the crowd were full of emotion and sincerity.
Ekko has everything it takes to to be a superstar. It’s shocking to me that he isn’t getting more media attention. Many of the songs on Time feature guest writers and collaborators and I think that may be part of the problem. I think Ekko needs to believe in his own abilities and get rid of the unnecessary extras. One of the most important part of being a star is understanding that no one else will understand your creative process better than you. I think with a little more confidence he will absolutely be able to take his craft to the next level and achieve magnificence.
