If I Crash, I Don’t Care, I’m Gonna Do It My Way

I’ll be honest, my expectations for Friday night’s show weren’t super high. I mean, it was another night at the Dakota, so I knew it was going to be a lovely night overall, but when it came to the performer, I didn’t think I knew enough for the show to really hit me hard. Oh man, was I wrong about that. Friday night instantly shot to the number one spot when it came to best show of the year, and it’s going to take a heck of a lot to knock it from that spot.

Aloe Blacc was born Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III. Although I was naive to it before the show, he is an absolute legend. From his solo work to his collaborations (which includes a guest appearance on Avicii’s 2013 hit single “Wake Me Up”), to his attempt at making the world a bit more of a positive and beautiful place, there was no denying the fact that I was in the presence of a true icon and I loved the way that I could not only hear that, I could feel it. Let’s talk about what I heard first, though.

Aloe Blacc’s voice is as smooth as butter. The way this man just sat there on his stool and belted out some of the most goosebump-inducing vocals was almost laughable. It felt like he wasn’t even trying, like this voice of an angel came to him naturally. The way he would go from swooning highs to booming lows in the blink of an eye and without a single pause left my jaw on the ground. Good thing there weren’t any flies in The Dakota, because I would have been catching all of them. Not only is this man’s range absolutely incredible, but I loved the way that he could manipulate his voice in a way. He would go from a super infectious pop song to a more tender pop song and all the way to an epic rap breakdown, yet all of these things fit his vocals so well.

Yes, Aloe Blacc was all over the place when it came to the genres he was performing on Friday night. This gave him a chance to talk about genres. He admitted that he’s all over the place from soul to rap to pop and stopping everywhere in between, but then he said what I have always felt, “I don’t care about genres…” Okay, I’m paraphrasing on that. Truthfully, I didn’t want to take notes on my phone for fear of missing a single moment of this show, but that’s essentially what he said. He went on to explain that he just wants to make music that makes you feel something. He wants to make music that makes this world a more beautiful place. Well, Aloe Blacc, mission accomplished. Mission accomplished and then some.

Although I felt like I was traveling through various beautiful worlds just by focusing on Aloe Blacc’s voice, there was no denying the talent of the band behind him. The members of this band, as my friend I was with pointed out, were born to play together. The tightness that they had was insane, but what I appreciated more was the respect they clearly had for one another. Each member seemed to be in their own world throughout the set, but when it came to solos, they seemed to encourage each other, if only just by a slight nod or a glimmer of a smile. I would have put money on the fact that this band has been playing together for decades, and I wasn’t half wrong on that, but when I found out that the drummer had just joined in about a year ago, my jaw hit the floor again. So not only was I watching an iconic vocalist and band, but I also had to try to wrap my head around the fact that the steady beat of this band had only been part of this group for about a year.

The music throughout Friday night was truly flawless, but what really made this show stand out to me was the journey I got to go on as Aloe Blacc spoke between songs. I loved hearing the stories about his run-ins with celebrities (including a hilarious story about the first time he met his idol, Bill Withers) and absolutely adored it when he talked about why he does what he does. He explained that his latest album, ‘Stand Alone’, is more than just an album. Each song on it is paired with a philanthropic cause. I won’t go super into details like he did at the show on Friday night, but just think about that. Instead of using his music to garner more money or fame, Aloe Blacc has decided to use it to bring attention to many different organizations and causes. Epic, I know. As if that wasn’t enough, Aloe Blacc urged people to contact him on his website with a story. He didn’t care if it was a story of sadness or an epic tale of triumph. He wants to hear from us and make an album about us next. Seriously, it doesn’t get more genuine or authentic than Aloe Blacc.

Dressed like Run DMC but sounding like Hootie & The Blowfish (Aloe Blacc’s words, not mine) and like a Harvard sticker on a beat-up Pinto (again, not my words, this statement is from one of the many stories he shared with the audience), I feel like no words would ever do this set or this man justice. Sure, this show was not my usual kind of show, but within the first song, I knew that this was my show of the year. I feel a lot of heart and passion from a lot of artists, but there was something different about what radiated from Aloe Blacc. It was real enough that you almost forgot that you were watching a full-fledged celebrity. He was fun and definitely had a personality that shone brighter than any of the stage lights beaming.

Aloe Blacc at The Dakota on Friday night is absolutely the best show I’ve seen yet this year, and I’m willing to bet it’s still reigning supreme by the end of the year. I dare anyone to try to beat this.