On June 22, while Imagine Dragons headlined the "All is One Orlando Unity Concert," another benefit was taking place in the Thorton Park area of Downtown Orlando.
At Tsar Lounge, a relatively new upscale bar with a chic retro Russian theme, an intimate crowd gathered to honor all those affected by the senseless tragedy in their own way.
While all the proceeds from this event were donated to the same One Orlando charity, Tsar Lounge owner Erol Altunbay decided to feature an up-and-coming Orlando resident as the main attraction. And boy oh boy was he justified in doing so! On the heels of her debut release, “What If the DJ,” POP/R&B singer/songwriter L’Ren electrified the crowd during her four-song set. As soon as the bassline drops on the aforementioned club-banger, you the listener are transported to a cascade of sultry vocals, imaginative lyrics, and a melody you’ll be humming to yourself ‘til the early morning.
Next up were mid-tempo, radio-ready jams titled “Ain’t Nobody Gotta Know” and “I Deserve Better” (see the video here). In today’s convoluted music scene, where’s it’s hard to tell the difference between a “recording artist” and a “real singer,” L’Ren makes it’s clear that she is the total package. Professional, entertaining, gorgeous and gracious; when she began to perform her closing number, “Never Let You Go,” which was especially dedicated to the 49 victims and 53 wounded, a steady stream of tears flowed throughout the crowd. But as L’Ren so eloquently stated, we were there to celebrate the lives of the beautiful people we lost. And so we did.