Smile Politely

Canopy Club Discover shows some love to up-and-coming artists on Valentine’s Day

Christian Jones
The image is a collage of four individual photographs of performers on stage, each illuminated by stage lighting. From left to right: The first performer is standing at a microphone, wearing a black jacket over a white t-shirt, paired with dark pants and sneakers. The stage lighting casts a pinkish hue on the scene. The second performer is also at a microphone, dressed in a white jacket and matching white pants, with the stage bathed in a red light. The third performer stands at the microphone wearing glasses, a white beanie, and a striped sweater over a long white shirt and light-colored pants, with a neutral stage lighting. The fourth performer is seen speaking into a microphone, wearing a camouflaged baseball cap and a sleeveless top, revealing a tattoo on the left arm, with the stage lighting giving off a warm amber tone.
From L to R: IamLostTwo, SBG Malik, D1V1NE and Tyler Kinney by Christian-Jones

Love was in the air at The Canopy Club last Wednesday, as a special Valentine’s Day edition of The Canopy Club Discover Series brought out lovebirds from across the state. Five artists who often sing about love and romance were booked with that fact in mind. R&B flowed from the speakers as Tyler Kinney, IamLostTwo, D1V1NE, SBG Malik and Paige Loki serenaded the crowd.

The image shows a performer on stage interacting with the audience, holding a microphone with a stand nearby. They are wearing a sleeveless black top and white pants, with a camouflage-patterned baseball cap worn forwards. The tattoo is on the artist's right arm. The backdrop includes softly lit curtains, and a DJ table with equipment is set up in the background, indicating a musical event or concert. In the foreground, the back of an audience member's head is visible, placing the viewer in the midst of the crowd, observing the performance.
Christian Jones

Tyler Kinney, a Danville native, opened the show with a few songs from his upcoming album. A seasoned performer, Kinney kept the crowd engaged with his humorous commentary between singles like “Puddles” and “Blushes and Butterflies”. His most recent release was a 21-minute Christmas album with 10 songs and two skits. On the album Kinney plays around with the premise of the classic song, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” with songs like “Is Santa a Player” and “Santa Can’t Have My Momma”. In addition to other features on the album, Kinney’ appears as the characters DJ Wrinkle, the radio host playing the album, and TallHead. During his set Kinney serenaded one lucky fan, giving us a sneak peak of the passion likely to come in his next project.

The photograph captures a performer on stage singing or speaking into a microphone. They are wearing a black button-up shirt with the phrase "MAKE THE DAY COUNT." visible on the front. The performer has their eyes closed and seems to be emotionally engaged in the performance, with one hand close to their chest. The stage lighting is dramatic, with a red glow on the background creating a vivid contrast against the performer, who is illuminated by a brighter, more neutral light.
Christian Jones

Champaign artist IamLostTwo sang soulfully over laid-back R&B tracks where he reminisced about lovers lost. With a voice that is reminiscent of Trey Songs, IamLostTwo shared his emotions with the crowd. The Half House affiliated artist was joined by fellow Half House artist Lil Eb the Bull. The two collaborated on the song “Cuff Buddy Season” from the 2021 project by IamLostTwo titled Transitions.

A performer is on stage under red lighting, holding a microphone close to their mouth, seemingly in the middle of singing or speaking. They are wearing a white jacket with a high collar, the jacket is partially zipped open revealing a garment with a logo underneath. The stage lighting casts a warm glow on their face, highlighting their expression of concentrated performance. Behind them, the ambiance is dark with a hint of stage equipment visible.
Christian Jones

SBG Malik also graced the stage on this Valentine’s Day, singing upbeat love songs as his girlfriend cheered from the front row. Malik’s whimsical vibe is a nice change of pace in the R&B genre, which is often very serious. His songs feel like an early 2000s Chris Brown fit that somehow never made it out of the studio, each feeling like it could be the next song of the summer. Fans of The Kid Laroi or 24kGoldn should check out SBG Malik for a similar sound. Though Malik has yet to release a solo project, you can listen to his album titled Catch a Vibe made in collaboration with Goofi on all streaming platforms. The Highlight of Malik’s performance was a song titled “Everyday”, which will be on his next project set to release this year.

The image depicts a performer on stage under red stage lighting. The artist is wearing glasses, a beige knitted beanie, and a dark long-sleeved shirt. They are holding a microphone to their mouth with one hand and extending their other hand towards the audience, with their fingers pointing out as if making a connection with someone in the crowd. The overall atmosphere is moody and focused, with the performer illuminated against a dark background, enhancing the sense of live performance engagement.
D1V1NE on Facebook

Chicago artist, D1V1NE closed the show with ballads written for her girlfriend who was also in attendance. The artist, known by some as “Chicago’s lover girl” started her performance by giving flowers to her partner backed by cheers from the crowd. D1V1NE performed her most popular song “Ever After” and another titled “Coming For You” where she sings over a groovy island-inspired beat. D1V1NE brought out the biggest crowd of all the artists who performed on Wednesday and she controlled the crowd with ease. Fans sang along and waved phone flashlights in the air catching her vibe.

Discover is a weekly event series at The Canopy Club organized by promoter Robert Kjev, to promote hip-hop artists from across the state. Kjev works behind the scenes organizing and promoting many hip-hop events at The Canopy Club. Kjev, a Champaign native, works for The Canopy Club’s parent company Jay Goldberg Events and Entertainment, while organizing hip-hop events on the side. Kjev gathered Wednesday’s artists with their musical style and ability to draw a crowd in mind. The Discover series will continue throughout this year almost weekly, except for a few off weeks. Discover events will occur on Wednesdays or Thursdays, depending on other bookings at The Canopy Club.

The Canopy Club Discover Series
The Canopy Club
Urbana
Weekly, W or Th throughout 2024, times vary
$10 – $15

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