Photo credit: Erin Berge
Klassik’s vinyl release show for Quiet was anything but the name. Twelve local Milwaukee musicians performed at Shank Hall’s last weekend, demonstrating the power and personality of the album. “This album was made to be listened to this way,” says Klassik about the vinyl release.
To Klassik, the album meant vulnerability. Collapsing the mic to his chest, Klassik explained the creative process he had to find when blocking out the common “noise” we find in our lives. Quiet received nods as Milwaukee’s best album for 2019 from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Radio Milwaukee Music Awards' 2019 Critics' Choice Album Of The Year.
Wanting to engage the audience with the process, he asked them to repeat “active” as he rapped “in this life you can’t be passive, you gotta be active,” and the crowd yelled back. Soon, after he took off his trench coat, everyone took to the dance floor. Wanting to connect more with the audience, Klassik told the story of the song “Serenity,” and how seeking the help he needed led to overcoming a dark period in his life. “I’ve been too close to the sun, and I’ve been too close to the water,” says Klassik in the midst of the set.
Musicians included Monique LaDora Ross, Chauntee Ross, also known as SistaStrings, Johanna Rose from NickelandRose, Kyndal Johnson known as Kyndal J., Sam Neufeld, Marielle Allschwang, Nelson Devereaux, Alex Julien, Jonathan Harris, Jr., Tim Johnson and Aram Feriants. Each artist not only performed with Klassik on stage, but also showed a connection with each other. A cheer from Ross to Neufeld after an engaging trumpet solo, and the synchronized flute and violin performance between Ross and Devereaux showed the album was meant for collaboration. Ending the night with “SPIRIT,” Klassik left the audience with the thought to never stop creating and leave the show inspired.
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