Sy Smith returns to Mercyhurst for an unforgettable night of R&B magic

(EDITOR’S NOTE: While this performance is sold out, additional tickets may be released on the evening of the performance, Tuesday, March 12. Seats will be sold to patrons waiting in the cancellation line on a first-come, first-served basis. The box office will open at 6 p.m., but patrons may start lining up earlier in the day.)

The Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture welcomes singer, songwriter, and producer Sy Smith back to Mercyhurst University for an intimate concert on the stage of the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. Smith made her Erie debut in March 2023, earning multiple mid-show standing ovations at Chris Botti’s sold-out concert.

Smith has proven throughout her career that an R&B artist can be progressive while remaining firmly rooted in tradition. Foremost a singer with a vocal range spanning five octaves, Smith began an unending succession of background gigs with Whitney Houston in the late '90s and has since worked closely with Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti and Grammy-nominated group the Foreign Exchange, among dozens of other artists.

After a brief period signed to a major label, Smith established an independent label, an outlet for compositionally solid and sonically adventurous albums, including “The Syberspace Social” (2005), “Conflict” (2008), “Fast and Curious” (2012), and the entirely self-produced “Sometimes a Rose Will Grow in Concrete” (2018). She is consequently known for being a leading force in post-millennial indie soul.

Smith raises her own bar and then leaps over it with her latest offering “Until We Meet Again,” her critically acclaimed album produced by Zo! & Tall Black Guy, executive produced by Phonte Coleman, and released on +FE Music in January 2024. This mellifluously soulful LP is drawing comparisons to Minnie Riperton and Deniece Williams and is already being called “the album of the year” by several critics. Music journalist Mark Chappelle says, “Smith evokes multiple traditions at once. With the sincerity of Diana Ross dedicating ‘Missing You’ to Marvin Gaye, Smith lets her voice levitate until it breaks—as if just the right frequency could resurrect a loved one.”

Guests will be seated on stage with Smith and her band so seating is limited to 200 with fewer than 20 seats remaining. Tickets, priced $35-$45, can be purchased over the phone at 814-824-3000 or in person at the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center box office (Tues.-Thurs., noon-5 p.m.). Each order is subject to a $4 per ticket processing fee.

This performance is sponsored by Knox Law, and the 2023-24 MIAC Live season is sponsored by Scott Enterprises, Aetna, Alan & Patti Schaal, the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality, and the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority.