Brooklyn Bound: SZA Live at Converse Rubber Tracks

Photographer Roger Kisby
November 05, 2013
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    Last night, on the coldest Monday of autumn so far, a swarm of fur-lined hats and big scarves assembled at Converse Rubber Tracks for a special Brooklyn Bound performance by SZA, the angel-voiced GEN F alumnus and reigning queen of Top Dawg Entertainment. After the crowd had some time to thaw, a process aided by tasty Reyka vodka cocktails, SZA took the stage, looking comfy in a loose-fitting pink jumpsuit and some striking neon platform Chuck Taylor sneakers. Her pet dog Piglet, currently injured and sporting a cone-collar, was wrapped in her arms.

    After handing off the pup to a trusted chaperone, SZA dazzled with a selection of lush, mostly mellow R&B songs from her growing catalog. Scenes from Scorsese’s Casino, one of SZA's favorite movies, were projected on the wall behind the stage while the 23-year-old let it all out, her voice loud and vulnerable over skittering production. An unexpected mid-set appearance by TDE label-mate Isaiah Rashad didn't disappoint; the two bounced around the stage performing their great, just-released collab “Ronnie Drake”, a laid-back duet that almost felt rowdy wedged between SZA’s velvety ballads. "I love that boy," she said, bubbly-voiced, as Rashad slipped out of sight. She wrapped things up with “Teen Spirit,” the WondaGurl-produced stunner from SZA's forthcoming EP, a potent epilogue to an evening of vocal finesse.

    Brooklyn Bound: SZA Live at Converse Rubber Tracks