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Imagine an artist that has the ability to transcend musical boundaries and the talent to charm and enchant fans both young and old: search long enough and you’ll find Citizen Cope. With a soulful voice that seems almost effortless, Cope constantly produces new, powerful music that engrosses audiences of all types, all across the world. This past Friday, myself and a few other Detroit Chic columnists had the chance to check out Cope live on the stage of the Royal Oak Music Theater...
(All images by Elizabeth DeRoo, Jason Mick and Detroit Chic, courtesy of Citizen Cope and RCA Records.) Though Cope was scheduled to appear at 9 p.m. fans had to wait almost 45 minutes for the band to take the stage; however, once the band and Cope started to play, the crowd was far from upset. 
Fans were delighted to hear a blend of Cope’s newer music off of his latest album, “Every Waking Moment” as well as a few crowd favorites (“Hurricane Waters”, “Sideways”, “Son’s Gonna Rise”) off earlier records. Half-way through the show, Cope left stage for a few minutes and many thought the show was over, when in reality it was only just beginning. Following a crowd chanting, “ONE MORE”, Cope re-appeared on stage to sing two songs without the band, one being my personal favorite, “Pablo  Picasso” from his 2004 album “The Clarence Greenwood Recordings”. And then to raise the bar even higher; Alice Smith, Cope’s girlfriend and one of Rolling Stone’s 10 Artists to Watch (2006) also took the stage to accompany Cope on a few tracks including, “Son’s Gonna Rise” and “107 Degrees”. Two amazing artists on one stage, in complete harmony was truly mind-blowing and even more: unmatched by most Top 40 artists.  In all honesty, never have I ever seen an artist that has such cross-cutting capabilities. Not only does Cope switch between electric and acoustic guitars almost every other song, but all of his works whether it be with Smith, Santana, or Rhymefest are crowd-pleasers and fan favorites. One final thought: As I sit here listening to “Pablo Picasso” I can only but help think one thing: none of Cope’s albums do him enough justice to the talent that he possesses. Do yourself a favor: spend the money, buy the albums and then go see him live. I promise you won’t be out of place (fans are from a broad spectrum; think soccer moms to hip-hop fanatics, grandpas to hot chicks with dread locks, and everyone in between) but more importantly you won’t be disappointed. (Cope and Band Performing "Let the Drummer Kick") You can check the Cope’s website www.citizencope.com for future tour dates in the US and Europe or if you willing to wait, you can see him on the stage of Rothbury, July 4th Weekend.
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