PERFORMING ARTS

Louisiana crooner Marc Broussard got off to a slow start at the 9:30 club, but once he got going . . . (Vanguard Records)

Marc Broussard

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At the 9:30 club Sunday, the lights went down and a band took the stage, kicking into a funky instrumental as it waited for its leader.

Soon, a stagehand bounded to the mike, a young, baby-face guy in a white button-down and jeans who started doing his best karaoke.

Oh wait, that was Marc Broussard.

The 25-year-old wunderkind of blue-eyed soul didn't exactly throw off a lot of star power at the beginning of what would balloon into an indulgent 2 1/2 -hour spectacle. With the Louisiana native initially overwhelmed by his terrific band -- as well as his sultry guest star, roots-rocker Shannon McNally -- it was difficult to hear anything special about Broussard's raspy croon, which has been winning him fans since his 2002 debut, "Momentary Setback."

Plus, it was a night of covers: Not only did Broussard perform tracks from his latest album, "S.O.S.: Save Our Soul," which is dedicated to R&B classics, he also padded the set list with throwbacks such as "You Can Leave Your Hat On." When he and McNally dueted on "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," it seemed as if Broussard wouldn't next announce a song but the tossing of a bridal bouquet.

But the Bayou boy got steadily looser and louder, proving that he did know how to command the stage and lather a crowd as he slipped in originals such as the house-rattling "Rock Steady" and even bustin' out Morris Day's "The Bird" toward the show's raucous, exhausting end. It was like the best wedding reception ever.

-- Tricia Olszewski

Jamaica Day Outdoor Reggae Festival

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The first Jamaica Day Outdoor Reggae Festival already has its second fest scheduled for July 13, 2008. But at times on Sunday, it seemed as if the event would barely survive its debut.