Dance Sensation Shamir Rocks Brooklyn

Last night I trekked out to Brooklyn with my buddies Mike and Anthony for the New York City debut of 20 year-old queer sensation Shamir, the unabashedly fey singer/rapper whose clear falsetto has drawn many comparisons to Sylvester. The sold-out audience at the Music Hall of Williamsburg ranged from front-row adoring fanboys to Manhattan nightlife figures such as Double-Headed Disco duo Noel Alicia and Jeff Jackson. (And a surprising number of bears.) While the comparisons to Sylvester's voice are well-founded, Shamir's style is more appealing awkwardness than sassy bravado, which he underscored when introducing the track Hot Mess as "autobiographical." Reviews for Shamir's debut album, Rachet, have been raving and his profile got a major boost this spring when his percolating rap single On The Regular soundtracked the release of the Google Smart Watch. Shamir's tour continues tonight at Philadelphia's Voyeur. Below is part of his set earlier this year at SXSW.