PREVIEW: Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed @ U Street Music Hall

Combining the bright and shiny pop of the Beegees and Michael Jackson with the smooth soul sounds of Motown, Reed is both a chanteur and a bandleader in his own right. He follows in the recent footsteps of nu-soul and nu-funk artists Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears by combining a rollicking horn section with an unbelievable vocal range. Reed takes cues from the greats (Smokey Robinson, Chuck Brown), but also utilizes the recording technology available today to create an energetic and explosive sound sure to destroy your Mac speakers at the least, and destroy your eardrums live (in the best possible way) at the most. Don’t miss this get-down, thrown-down absolute barnburner of a show, this Friday at U Street Music Hall!

-Kelsey Butterworth