My Brightest Diamond dances the night away at the Rock and Roll Hotel on May 16, 2019. (Photo by David LaMason)

My Brightest Diamond, the creative vehicle for artist Shara Nova, has constantly evolved over the past decade. The evolution continued at Rock and Roll Hotel recently.

A Million and One, the fifth LP under the moniker My Brightest Diamond, is a silky, dark, and danceable record that forgoes the act’s former horns and bouncy jazz-tinged sounds for a somewhat darker and electronic sound, but it’s one that highlights Shara’s amazing vocal range.

To a darkened room with the manic beats of drummer Jharis Yokley, Shara Nova made her way through the crowd in a white boxing robe, singing and dancing to “It’s Me on the Dance Floor,” the opening track on My Brightest Diamond’s latest LP.  “DC, are you ready for a challenge?,” Shara started before “This Is My Hand.” And this crowd was definitely up for the challenge as the duo got those on the floor moving.

Stream A Million and One by My Brightest Diamond on Spotify:

She was joined on stage by opener Tunde Olaniran, who sang and shook along with Shara to “Supernova” getting the crowd to move along to these words of inclusion:

I love you though you’re different than me
You don’t talk like me
I love you though you’re foreign to me
And unknown to me
And there is no assuming
I love you ’cause you wanted to be
More of you and nobody
Can ever, ever try to be

And that’s what it was — a performance of inclusion and love as Shara then started in with “Another Chance,” showing her impressive voice as it cut through the room.

Introducing “Dorian,” Shara asked the audience, “Did you ever have a muse or a crush you’ve had for a very long time. Maybe you thought about kissing them, but you thought about it and you thought better of it and didn’t… but it didn’t keep you from writing poetry about them, did it?” Which got the crowd laughing.

Watch the official music video for “Dorian” by My Brightest Diamond on YouTube:

“Thank you for supporting this astronaut as she goes on these journeys.” Shara then sang the achingly beautiful “I Have Never Loved Someone” from the All Things Will Unwind LP. And in the next moment, My Brightest Diamond was getting the crowd to shout out the chorus “SO LOUD” from the recently released single, “Quiet Loud.”

Ending with a spirited encore of “Be Brave” and “White Noise,” My Brightest Diamond capped off a amazing night of music. My Brightest Diamond continues their tour through the summer. Definitely catch them here.

The setlist included:

1. It’s Me on the Dance Floor
2. Champagne
3. I Want Candy (Strangeloves cover)
4. A Million Pearls
5. Supernova (with Tunde Olaniran)
6. Sway
7. Another Chance
8. Dorian
9. I Have Never Loved Someone
10. Quiet Loud
11. Pressure

Encore:

1. Be Brave
2. White Noise

Here are some photos of My Brightest Diamond performing at the Rock and Roll Hotel on May 16, 2019. All photos copyright and courtesy of David LaMason.