Josh Levi: One Year of Hydraulic
Blue Note Los Angeles1492 Ivar Avenue, Los Angeles 90028
Josh Levi brings One Year of Hydraulic to Blue Note Los Angeles for a solo performance marking the first year of his album Hydraulic. The Houston-born, Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and actor is billed alone, with no supporting performers or instrumentation specified. Expect a set rooted in the record's modern pop and R&B world, whose hydraulic-car imagery Levi has used to explore love and life.
Levi has emerged as one of R&B's rising young voices, recognized both for his singing and for dance performances that EBONY says “can set any stage ablaze.” His expanded album HYDRAULIC: FUELED UP includes appearances by Brandy and Teezo Touchdown, while Jack Rochon, Nija Charles and Von Waters are among its production and songwriting collaborators. Billboard noted that Levi cleared Destiny's Child's “Don’t Go” for the album and called HYDRAULIC “the progeny of one of Gen Z’s most well-studied R&B students.” EARMILK heard “a new R&B style” in its blend of past influences; another review singled out Levi's “silky tenor” and the room the production leaves for it.
A small, dimly lit basement club tucked into a Hollywood corner, Blue Note Los Angeles is a dedicated jazz and live music space with a long-standing reputation for intimate, high-quality performances. The room is modest, with a few rows of seats facing a stage where the music is the focus. It's a place to listen, not to socialize, with the audience often quiet, absorbed in the musicians. Drinks are available, but the atmosphere is centered on the music. Shows are ticketed, with multiple sets each night, and the evening unfolds with a steady rhythm of live music, not casual conversation.