Hernandez praised New York for being the “greatest city in the world.” He extended his appreciation to anybody that voted for him on his American Idol days. “For those of you that didn’t vote for me, that’s why I’m here,” he said, jokingly.
He clarified that American Idol opened many doors for him, where he was asked to sing at the Inaugural kick-off Celebration ball for U.S. President Barack Obama, where he shared the stage with John Legend. He also noted that he was a part of three tours, where he performed for the men and the women that are serving our country.
Hernandez shared that he released Kingdom: The Mixtape, which features 23 tracks and it is available on Apple Music.
He treated the audience to the song “Without You” from Rent, which was expressive and controlled. Equally marvelous was his version of “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations, where he took his fans on a trip down memory lane to his American Idol days.
The highlight performance of his set was the enthralling and powerful “Feeling Good,” where he gave a fitting homage to the “High Priestess of Soul” Nina Simone.
He revealed that his proudest professional accomplishment is “becoming the person that he is today,” as well as “loving that person.”
Hernandez invited his good friend, Effie Passero, to sing a duet with him and they delivered a spell-binding version of “Shallow” from A Star is Born, where they were able to outdo the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper original recording. Passero is a true force to be reckoned with.
He expressed how happy he was to be here tonight at The Green Room 42, and thanked everybody for coming out. He did note that it was hot up on that stage. “It’s hotter than s**t up here,” he said. “I’m sweating like a hooker in church,” he added.
Speaking of Effie Passero, she and Hernandez formed the musical duo, 2nd Hour, and their duet single “What I See” will be released on January 21, and it is available on pre-order on Apple Music. They premiered this song at The Green Room 42, and treated the audience to a soaring and crystalline rendition. Passero noted that she wrote it about her friends going through a divorce.
Passero also performed a solo piano-laden version of “Simply Happy,” which was sheer bliss, where she emerged as a contemporary Kate Bush with the vocal range of Mariah Carey.
Kimberley Locke, fellow American Idol alumna, took the stage where she performed two songs, “This Is My Life,” by Dame Shirley Bassey, which she dedicated to Hernandez, as well as her signature song, “8th World Wonder,” where she displayed the power and soul in the voice. In her personal life, Locke announced that she is engaged to her fiancé Jason.
Drag queen Julia Van Cartier performed some witty songs this evening, including a neat parody of “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid.
The Verdict
Overall, David Hernandez was able to take his listeners on a musical journey through “Broadway and Beyond.” His talent is very versatile, where he is able to the high notes and display his impressive falsetto. With Hernandez, the listener can recall Justin Timberlake meets Chris Brown, and that ought to be taken as a compliment. His studio recordings, as great and exceptional as they are, do not do him justice. Music listeners need to see David Hernandez live in concert first chance they get.
In addition, his special musical guests (Effie Passero, Kimberley Locke, and Julia Van Cartier) were all unique and extraordinarily talented as well. His live set at The Green Room 42 in Manhattan garnered an A rating. Well done.
To learn more about David Hernandez and his music, check out his official website.
Read More: Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos chatted with David Hernandez about being an artist in the digital age, and he shared his future plans.
