Hot D@m! Mother Father

I'll leave what I really want to say up to the imagination but I just saw a performance that just messed up my progress as a curse free man. Ok that is an exaggeration, but just like expletives are used when a person does not have the vocabulary to truly express his or her feelings, I'm feeling that way but in a positive fashion. I'm talking about Allen Stone! Even after being invited to his show I didn't take the time to look up his music. Now that I have experienced this cat I am buying everyone of his albums before I lay my head down to sleep tonight.

His voice behind an acoustic is like running water. Then when he has his band it's like the swagger of a 4th of July BBQ with the soul of cornbread and collard greens to go with it. It's really like that. Never have I been to a show by an artist I knew nothing about and left singing every track. The guy is ridiculous. Words can't express the magic that the native of Washington state creates at a show.



The funny thing about this night is that I saw two performances which were polar opposites, which made me think really hard about what gives an artist that something spectacular. I am a musician. Not as accomplished but a musician none the less. The first performance I saw that night was the extreme worst. No connection with the instrumentalist, no connection with the crowd. Poor thing, the only thing she had going for her was that she was in her own zone. Musically there was no story being told. She maintained a pretty level feel the entire way and it was like her band was carrying her. Art is subjective but the performance was the difference between colors used to bring out the story versus color used because the artist wanted to. People walked out. That is until the next act came. Allen Stone just made magic. That is all I can say. He had a connection with the band. How he used his voice directed the band to pull back or give more. There was synergy and it just worked. It rehearsed but it wasn't forced. Luckily I can sense these things.



I may not know how to quantify it but I sure as heck know how to spot true music greatness versus something that needs work. All together Allen Stone is what is hot in the streets. Pick up his albums Allen Stone and Last to Speak available on iTunes and Amazon.com. I tell you what I will go see this guy again when he comes back on the East Coast.

Comments

Denise said…
REALLY mad you keep me out of the loop on stuff like this! Some friend you are LOL
November 12, 2011 at 7:52 AM
Gordon M. Curry said…
Don't do it Ana Mae. Don't do it.
November 15, 2011 at 12:03 PM
Unknown said…
He is superb. Contact high and Reality are on the top of thie list for me :)
December 25, 2011 at 4:30 PM
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