Soulful Healing with Durand Bernarr’s Wanderlust Tour in Raleigh, NC

I can’t begin to describe all the numerous ways I adore Durand Bernarr. His IG serves fashion and feels.  His vocals slide seductively around your neck just to smack you in the face. He’s toured as a background vocalist for Erykah Badu, whom he affectionately calls “Mother.” His NPR Tiny Desk, dressed in homage to the Disney Proud Family animated series was heaven sent.  And his episodes on YouTube sensation Terrell Grice’s “The Terrell Show” have garnered millions of views not only because the man is a vocal beast but he’s funny and entertaining to a fault. We’re not even going to mention the version of Sade’s “Sweetest Taboo” he ran through and set aflame at Stevie Mackey’s Taco Tuesday series for singers.  I’m gushing but yes, we’re fans here at Shutter16!

Thus it came at no surprise to us that his show at the Lincoln Theatre in downtown Raleigh was sold out. Raleigh was ready for church and Durand was our guest pastor ready to show out!  The entry line wrapped down the block and around the corner to see the Ohio native.  Even better, Saturday the singer-songwriter celebrated his 35th birthday. It was destined to be a movie all night long!

His opening act and tour buddy, Jeronelle set the tone immediately for soulful vocals.  You might remember him from the Fox TV Show, The Four: Battle for Stardom. His first song “Stuck” was pretty good, and when he slid into his own rendition of Mary J Blige’s “I Can Love You,” complete with the viral Little Kim dance, it was easy to see how he linked up with Durand. He did a beautiful version of Maxwell’s “This Woman’s Work,” but his “Down Back” was everything. The track fluidly jumped between RnB and Gospel, and gave Jeronelle a chance to really show off how well the man can sang. 

90’s club music got everyone dancing but it wasn’t long before the gentleman of the hour hit the stage. Accompanied by Tithes & Offering, Sam Hoffman and Frank Moka, Durand jumped right into “Boundaries Ft Tired & Exhausted.” The thing about Durand is every song is a peek into his own personal journey. Each song is accompanied with an affirmation meant to uplift, let the church say amen.  This man literally went into the crowd to lay hands on fans, reminding everyone that “No is a complete sentence!” Fan and personal song favorites “Company” and “Leveled” never disappoint. Shouts of ‘Happy Birthday’ were sprinkled in between every song by the audience which was so sweet, until they actually got to sing it for real when his team brought out a surprise birthday cake, and his parents on FaceTime to wish him well. It was touching to see his genuine emotional reaction.

You would’ve thought the crowd was full of his cousins instead of fans. He still had to tease a front row couple though, after asking, “Do you share?…I’ll bring him back better than you found him!” Durand brought it back around with a moment of conversation about how the avid smoker had abstained from smoking and drinking due to having no days off and wanting to be his best for his fans while on tour which earned him thunderous applause. Fitting, he moved into “Sam’s Vibe” with its lines: have you smoked today, have you yet put something on your stomach? Hearing it as an acoustic set was a new treat for me. Durand hit every note impeccably and that track just shows the incredible multi-octave range this man has! 

We were then blessed with a short mix of his own tracks, Britney Spears & 90s club music as he recently started a new venture, under the moniker DJ TBD aka The Best DJ. What made it even doper was we were apparently the first crowd on tour to receive it.

The night was coming to an end, but you can’t come to a Durand show without comedic shenanigans. He went into a stirring story about a young man with a dream, stepping outside your comfort zone and moving past fear that had us all filled with the spirit until he asked, “and do you know what that dream was? That dream was dick!” It was literally the perfect segway into arguably his best tracks outside of the Sam Hoffman-produced “Sam’s Vibe,” which were his show finale songs: “Relocate,” “Mango Butter,” and “Stuck.” Besides the clever witty lines, all three just have a groove that only Durand’s voice can make magic spill over. “Relocate” is the first original song I heard from Durand, and you can’t help but relate to the premise as grown folk! (Side note, listen with headphones because if you get in trouble it’s not on us lol). If he hadn’t performed it, I probably would’ve cried. 

I literally did tear up a couple times throughout our time together because per usual Durand is such a force of inspirational fortitude. As one fan said, “I had more church with Durand than I have all year!” His authenticity bleeds onto you and stains your skin. He had complete strangers connecting during the show and even after because it felt like we had imprinted on each other. Before leaving the stage he quieted the crowd down just to remind everyone to be kind and gentle with themselves. All through the show he told the audience we were “more than enough.” To stop being scared to walk in our purpose, and to set boundaries.  What kind of artist inspires with their talent AND their heartfelt therapeutic words to a theater full of people in a community that often feels unseen in society? The kind that ends their show with the words,  “I want to leave you better than I found you.” Job well done, Durand. 

Click Here for Tickets and Tour Information!

Catch this tour:

1. Oct 14 Cincinnati, OH, US Memorial Hall
2. Oct 28 Atlanta, GA, US One Musicfest
3. Nov 10 Paris, France La Maroquinerie
4. Nov 14 Camden, UK Jazz Cafe
5. Nov 15 Camden, UK Jazz Cafe
6. Nov 18 Rotterdam, Netherlands BIRD
7. Nov 20 Berlin, Germany Lark

https://www.durandbernarr.com/