Fans of Anthony Hamilton’s smooth-as-silk voice will be able to experience his music live when he performs Saturday night at D.C.’s DAR Constitution Hall with his “Back to Love Tour.” The Grammy Award-winning, multiplatinum-selling R&B vocalist (his duet “So in Love” with Jill Scott set a record 18 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Urban Adult Contemporary chart) is also bringing along special guest Estelle and R&B newcomer Antoine Dunn.
“I’ll give people a chance to really feel the music,” Hamilton said of the program that includes the latest hits from “Back to Love,” his fourth studio album. “I’ve got some great people with me.”
On his CD, Hamilton effortlessly and flawlessly delivers his vocals punctuated by a soaring range.
“There are different tones in my voice that people have fallen in love with; I can go hard or real soft,” Hamilton has noted. “I pay attention to that.”
| Onstage |
| Anthony Hamilton with Estelle |
| Where: DAR Constitution Hall, 18th and C Streets NW |
| When: 8:00 p.m. Saturday |
| Info: $59.50 to $76.50; ticketmaster.com |
Hamilton has described the cuts on “Back to Love” as both “firecrackers and life-reflecting songs.” These include the upbeat “Sucka For You” and “Best of Me.” Then there are the more contemplative, wistful pieces, such as “Never Let Go,” a duet with singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, and “Life Has a Way, originally written for the movie “Pursuit of Happyness,” which starred Will Smith.
Hamilton has remarked that the overwhelming popularity to “So in Love,” and now, “Pray for Me” confirms his belief that “R&B is about to be the new mainstream.”
Saturday’s performance in D.C. marks the fifth stop on his late-summer/early-fall “Back to Love Tour,” which includes cities such as Cleveland, Chicago and Dallas. When asked about future touring plans, Hamilton is reflective.
“Hopefully, we go back to Europe,” he said.
