For many of us in our 30s and 40s, you need to say no more than “this pop group was formed on a 2000s MTV reality show” and we’re there. That would explain the sold-out crowd Tuesday night at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale.
Unfortunately, sometimes nostalgia has a darker side. So it is with Danity Kane, a vocal girl group that was formed on the MTV series “Making the Band” — produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Coming together in 2005, the group is known for mid-aughts club bangers, including “Show Stopper” and “Damaged.” Unsurprisingly, they’ve had a tumultuous run over the years.
Original member Aubrey O’Day recently appeared in Netflix docuseries “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” to discuss sexual harassment that she suffered from Combs. Several days ago, O’Day revealed that she was hospitalized after seeing the docuseries “re-traumatized” her and caused a number of serious physical symptoms. She missed the second show of the current “Untold Chapter Tour” in Los Angeles as a result.
In addition to O’Day, two of the other four original Danity Kane members returned to this tour: Aundrea Fimbres and D. Woods. One of the remaining members, Dawn Richard, posted on social media, indicating that she was not asked to return for this reunion.
This is also a fairly brief tour — there are only a handful more shows, and listening to the audience at Tuesday night’s show revealed that attendees had traveled from as far away from New Orleans, North Carolina and beyond. Despite the drama, these ladies have earned a loyal fanbase.
The crowd size didn’t escape O’Day’s notice.
“Wow, this is a packed house, up to down, left to right. We love coming to places like this, the energy is just so palpable,” she said after the group made a showstopping entrance to songs “Hold Me Down” and “Sleep On It.”
While the trio sang, danced and sweated for an hour and 20 minutes, the show did feel pretty short, especially since several of the earlier songs on the setlist were cut down to snippets. But not only did these women come to belt their hearts out in song, but they were there to bare their souls.
After the smooth club groove of “Pretty Boy,” the stage darkened so that a message from the final original member of Danity Kane, Shannon Bex, could play.
“I was rarely the one to first speak, content with taking a step back, to let my sisters shine with their gifts, gifts of passion, strength and boldness,” the ex-member said. “Even from far, I remain what I’ve always been: supportive, proud and grateful for my sisters. So as their next chapter begins, let your hearts stay open.”
They followed that message with “Is Anybody Listening,” a heartfelt ballad with crisp harmonies that was definitely memorable for the right reasons.
“We want to get a little bit more intimate with you tonight,” Fimbres said before they recited a lovely spoken-word poem over tranquil piano and sparkling chimes.
Then came the most intimate moment of all, when O’Day took a moment to read something from her diary that she had just written the night before. The group’s members are taking this opportunity to write their next chapter and be as transparent with their fanbase as possible.
“I used to think healing was a destination,” O’Day read. “Like one day, I’d wake up, and the elephant lying on my chest that I feel when I wake up in the morning would be gone. … I didn’t realize that healing was more like learning to breathe underwater. I have always dressed my survival up as strength. Even when I was fired.”
Emotion crept into her voice as the crowd interrupted with cheers of support and jeers against Sean Combs.
The other two group members took questions from the crowd, tactfully fielding curiosities about their next steps — would there be a new album? A new single? A new tour?
“We’re still in the tour that we’re doing right now!” Fimbres laughed. “Can you live in the now, in the present?”
The second half of the show was nonstop fun, with the steamy, drum-driven “Right Now” as an early highlight. “Ride for You” — which they dedicated to the recently deceased friend of a fan — soared with a mix of old-school soul charm and that distinctive 2000s hip-hop production. Even if we object to the person who did the picking, it’s easy to see why all three of these women were picked to be in a group like this one; they have great voices that move flexibly from sultry to emotional.
The last run of the show just ramped up the audience’s excitement. “Lemonade,” a punchy song full of swagger, sweetness and a little edge, sampled the beat from J-Kwon’s hit “Tipsy” (later made re-famous by Shaboozey). They followed up with “One Shot,” the very first track on their 2006 self-titled debut album, and their two big hits, “Show Stopper” and “Damaged.” And it sure was a throwback to the clubbing days of the 2000s, with the whole audience dancing, screaming the words and keeping the energy top notch.
Wrapping up on “Damaged” — a song that asks for patience and help with patching up old wounds — felt poignant, even a message to a dedicated fanbase that’s hoping for more from their favorite pop group and getting openness and honesty in return. Even in the midst of tumult, Danity Kane can still bring it.
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