Concert Review: Kali Uchis and Gabriel Garzón-Montano (Fillmore Charlotte)

Kali Uchis and Gabriel Garzón-Montano have teamed up for a twenty-five date US and Canadian fall tour, which included two North Carolina stops. We were fortunate enough to be at the Fillmore when they brought their show to Charlotte.

Despite being sampled by Drake three years ago, Gabriel Garzón-Montano is not yet a household name (although the reason for that, as he jokingly pointed out at the show, might be because his name is too tough for gringos and people with short-attention spans). But judging by his performance on Saturday night, that should change soon enough.

Certain flashes and flourishes of Gabriel Garzón-Montano's stripped-down R&B might call to mind the Purple One, but Montano has a sound all his own. With solid live performances like the one Saturday night, continued support and respect from his peers and music critics and fans, it won't be long until he's headlining major tours across the US.

We caught Kali Uchis back in February when she opened for Lana Del Rey at the Spectrum Center, so he we had some idea of what to expect at one of her shows. What we weren't aware, however, of the fervency of her fans. The Fillmore was packed with young female fans, eager to see Uchis and sing along to every song and Uchis didn't let them down. Kali commanded the entire stage, strutting in front of her band, as billows of smoke surrounded her. By the time the smoke cleared, the Fillmore fans were sweaty but satisfied after a great concert by both artists.