Van Hunt channels Prince at L.A. gig

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Early in his sold-out set on a rain-soaked Tuesday at the Roxy Theater, Van Hunt performed the song "Character," in which he asked, over a smoldering groove, "Who are you when heavy weather is blowing?"

On that particular song, it seemed as if the neo-soul sensation was still Curtis Mayfield reincarnated -- an impression he left us with following the release of his 2004 self-titled debut. But Hunt, who was celebrating the release of his second Capitol album, "On the Jungle Floor," is no longer a one-trick pony.

At times during his 55-minute set, he also channeled Rick James, outrocked

Lenny Kravitz and echoed

David Bowie, while his six-piece co-ed biracial combo brought back memories of prime Prince & the Revolution. But most of all, the 29-year-old singer-guitarist proved Tuesday that he is a star, albeit one with a grab bag of easily spotted influences.

Hunt also told the crowd -- which included his mother and his manager, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson -- who he wasn't. Mentioning the struggle he went through while recording his second album, Hunt said if certain individuals had their way, he'd be doing R. Kelly remakes. "That's not to say I don't love the man, urination habits aside," Hunt quipped, before launching into "At the End of a Slow Dance," a song that recalls Bowie and

Iggy Pop's "China Girl." Hunt followed with "Ride, Ride, Ride," a rocker that seemed ripped from the Kravitz songbook but was performed with more passion than Kravitz has mustered in years.

Early in his set, Hunt got his freak on with "If I Take You Home (Upon . . .)," a slice of seductive James-flavored funk sprinkled with some Princely sleaze that was punctuated by George Gordon's blazing Ernie Isley-styled guitar riffs.

Wearing a suit and tie with a leather flight cap and sunglasses, Hunt appeared to be a bit of a super freak himself, oozing charisma and energy. When he took off his guitar, he revved up the faithful with frantic handclaps. Midway through the set, he had the crowd sing along with "Seconds of Pleasure" as if it were a classic Mayfield slow jam; the number climaxed with another scorching guitar solo from Gordon. With the crowd clearly on his side, Hunt conjured up another sing-along at the end of "Being a Girl," noting that he was "trying to show the record company this is the next single."

With Prince recently back on top of the charts, Capitol would be wise to heed Hunt's advice. Although much of his music is rooted in the '70s, Hunt showed Tuesday night that he clearly knows what time it is.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter