We all know what a bummer it is to buy tickets to a concert, get all fired up about going then, when you get there, the artist simply goes through the motions. No energy, no enthusiasm, a performance that practically screams: “As long as the check clears.”
Sitting there, you sadly – or perhaps angrily – realize you’ve wasted money, time and emotion.
But that was not the case Saturday night when Allen Stone came to the Walker Theatre. The soul/pop performer – think Al Green combined with Stevie Wonder combined with Marvin Gaye – was so exuberant that it was impossible not to get caught up. Passion, happiness and excitement practically sprang from his fingertips.
Shawn RyanIn some hands, his distinctly hippie-love-peace vibe might have seemed corny and contrived, but he was so overwhelmingly sincere, it came off as genuine. And there’s a very real sense of joy when you watch a performer who is having such a good time.
Pretty much every band in the world says that playing live is where they excel, that studio recordings simply don’t capture their true spirit. True in many cases, but there also are bands that just don’t seem to have spirit or excitement onstage, even if they think they do.