SXSW 2011: Raphael Saadiq Live In Concert

For all its irresistibly soulful energy, what really jumps out about Raphael Saadiq's music is the smooth precision with which it falls into place. A perfectly tailored showman, with perhaps the whitest teeth in show business, the producer and former member of Tony! Toni! Ton?! plays the part of the in-control frontman to perfection. But don't mistake his impeccably presented persona with sterility: This set from Stubb's in Austin, Texas -- recorded live as part of the South by Southwest music festival — is a full-blown soul revue, complete with choreographed backup singers and buckets of sweat. When a guy this cool exerts this much effort, it's a joy to behold. Hear Saadiq perform live at SXSW from Stubb's in Austin, Texas, on March 16, 2011.