The first time I saw a Bevlove set was at the Sam Austins show at El Club a while back. From that moment on, I understood what all the hype was about.
With a string of solid recent performances, culminating in a remarkable set at this year’s Movement festival, Bev has steadily built her reputation in Detroit as an impassioned and multi-talented artist. Her project Letters is the best we’ve seen from her and more, and her release show at SMPLFD surely did the music justice.
From the moment she arrived, Bevlove’s intentionality was apparent. Rolling up to a red carpet laced with velvet ropes, she made sure to assert the importance of the occasion. Escorted by close family and friends, Bev’s entrance was nothing short of spectacular, setting the tone for a night that was bound to be something special.
After a warm-up from the one and only Black Noi$e, as well as a short intro courtesy of Icepic, the star of the show of the show seized the window-flanked stage. With minimal commentary, Bevlove cruised through Letters with well-rehearsed exigency, gracefully letting the music speak for itself. The crowd stood enamored by her presence, at once graceful and assertive, absorbing her lyrical messages that touched on the elegant and the explicit. Her fervent energy filled the room in a way that turned minutes into seconds; her set, a burst of stimulation that seemed to pass in a moment.
Bevlove’s refined versatility and engrossing charisma have resulted in a promising trajectory for this Detroit legend in the making, and her appreciation for the moment proves that she deserves it.
In her own words, “this was the best day of my life so far.”
