Kiwanuka, Williams shine; Howard? Not so much

That meant that middle act British soul singer Michael Kiwanuka was the highlight of the night. Kiwanuka played with a bit of an edge. He has a definite intensity about him with his vocals carrying the music.

Kiwanuka also could get personal in dealing with societal issues. The well-delivered "Black Man in a White World" seemed more filled with disappointment and sadness in terms of Kiwanuka's situation in life of having far more white fans than people of color

Yet it wasn't all about Kiwanuka by any stretch. The fact of the matter was he had a backing band (a rather large one at that, eight overall), who helped convey that intensity with aplomb.

Back-up singers, for example, can sometimes come off as mere window dressing without adding a lot of value. Not so with Kiwanuka, who made sure they were part of the fray. They had a seemingly small role on "Father's Child," but their staccato chanting of "walk" on repeat made an impact while Kiwanuka sang.

Kiwanuka was not a flashy performer, but he had something to say with a bunch of quality songs and a well-conceived set.

Yasmin Williams opened, seated while playing solo acoustic guitar. The Virginia native showed there's a lot to like about acoustic music and should have earned herself an endorsement deal with Guitar Hero as the game was what inspired her to learn guitar in the first place back when she just about double digits.

Williams, who has a new album out Friday on the respected Nonesuch label, showed a lot of dexterity, sometimes playing fingerstyle guitar with the instrument flat on her lap and sometimes holding it like most all do. At times, she would tap her foot on the floor to create a percussive sound.

The four-song, 20-minute stint tended to focus on faster-tempo songs which made sense given the surroundings of a large club. Williams also would change up the tempo within a song for a greater impact.

The small crowd at the time (maybe a few hundred people) were supportive and appreciative. One suspected a bigger crowd may have yielded a different result. Williams was a keeper.

Brittany Howard was the headliner with a set that had far more misses than hits. Howard, former lead singer of the late Alabama Shakes, went for a slow burn soul sound, and stayed there for most, but fortunately not all of her 65-minute stint was like that.

Howard offered a most surprising very slow reading of Seals & Crofts' hit "Summer Breeze," which was probably nothing like the originators anticipated. Too many songs were just too challenging with no toe tapping needed.

Howard was at her best on her faster-paced songs where she stayed away from soprano vocals, but that was what dominated most of the night on songs that lacked much sonic divergence.

Howard was certainly an engaged performer. Decked out in a sparkly gown, she would thrust her arms into the air, look skyward and was clearly animated – almost more so than the songs deserved.