Last night at The Bitter End, the walls absorbed something sacred. What unfolded was a night of gospel, R&B, and pure soul—music stripped of pretense and delivered straight from lived experience. It was emotional, reverent, and overwhelming in the best way, a reminder of why certain rooms become legendary. A special Thank You to Christian Velasco for producing this incredible event.
Lauren Byrd opened the evening with a voice that felt both intimate and exposed. There was a tenderness to her delivery, but also resolve—a sense that every lyric had been earned. She didn’t perform at the audience; she invited them in. Her songs carried quiet confessions and unspoken truths, setting a tone that asked for listening, not distraction.
ShanDaria followed with a commanding presence that shifted the room immediately. Her vocals were bold, grounded, and unmistakably soulful, rooted in tradition yet entirely her own. Each note felt deliberate, powerful, and unwavering. She sang with the authority of someone who knows exactly who she is, and the audience responded instinctively, pulled into her rhythm and conviction.
When Nia Renee took the stage, the night deepened. Her voice carried vulnerability and strength in equal measure, floating between ache and affirmation. There was something cinematic in the way she held silence between phrases, allowing emotion to linger before releasing it. It felt less like a performance and more like witnessing a personal truth being spoken aloud.
The night reached its emotional peak with gospel headliner Lamont Sanders, whose voice transformed the room into a sanctuary. This was gospel in its purest form—uplifting, restorative, and communal. Tears flowed freely. Hands lifted. Strangers stood united in feeling. His performance didn’t ask belief; it created it, if only for the length of a song.
Keyboardist Ashley Peoples was the musical backbone of the night, seamlessly anchoring every performance with precision, sensitivity, and soul. Moving effortlessly between gospel, R&B, and contemporary styles, Ashley elevated each artist with dynamic arrangements and an intuitive feel that kept the energy flowing without ever overpowering the vocals. Her playing provided both structure and freedom—supporting, responding, and driving the music forward—making her an essential, unifying force throughout the entire show.
This was not a flashy night. It didn’t need to be. What made it powerful was its honesty. Gospel, R&B, and soul collided not as genres, but as expressions of survival, faith, and emotional release.
By the end of the night, The Bitter End felt changed—like it had held something fragile and immense all at once. This was music that healed without promising resolution, that moved without explanation.
A night remembered not for volume, but for depth.
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Photo Credits: Billy Hess