Goapele Debuts New Video, Performs Tonight

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Spotted in the O: Goapele

​Last weekend, I spotted local songstress Goapele lunching at a restaurant during Oakland's Lakefest. "Sssh... don't tell anyone I'm here," she said. "I'm supposed to be in LA." Choosing to lunch at a Lakeshore Ave. eatery rather than a trendy see-and-be-seen spot in Beverly Hills? That's an Oakland girl, fa sho.

The big news is that Goapele is back after a four-year hiatus since her last album Change It All. In the interim, she's given birth not only to her first child--congrats to Goap and proud papa Theo Rodrigues, also spotted during Lakefest weekend--but to a new album, to be released shortly. And she's independent again after a stint on a major label which didn't work out as well for her as her as everyone forecasted, following the success of "Closer," her 2002 single which became KMEL's #1 record for the year 2003 and paved the way for her debut album Closer to sell 200,000 copies to date. With numbers like that, you don't need a major label to not promote you, honey.

Speaking of honey, "Milk & Honey" is the title of Goap's new video--watch it here. And if you'd prefer to see Goapele live and in person, you can do so tonight, for free, at the East Bay Express-sponsored "Subcultures" party at the Oakland Museum of California, which also features a zillion other local bands, some cool art, and, as a bonus, you can peep some of the museum's exhibits. The info isn't easy to find on the Express' home page for some reason, but don't sweat it, details are here and here.