God Has A Funny Way Of Showing You Lessons

I felt personally attacked during Thursday night’s show at The Dakota. A few songs in, performer Eric Roberson called out a fan in the audience who was singing along to every word of every song. He then quickly flipped the script, noting that some people knew who he was, while others had no idea. I fell into the latter category. I’ve been playing this new game where, when there’s nothing in town that I need to see, I pick out a random show to check out. This is nothing new, but The Dakota’s place in this game has shifted as this venue has quickly become a favorite of mine. From the delicious food to the romantic atmosphere, I just cannot get enough, so I find myself at this cozy venue more often than not on my “off” nights, and that’s how I found myself here on Thursday night.

I’m almost ashamed to say I had never heard of Eric Roberson before this show. After seeing him and reading up a bit, it’s clear this guy is a legend, and I was in the presence of greatness. Sometimes going by the name Erro, Eric is a rapper, producer, and singer-songwriter. His voice is smooth as butter and radiates positivity and love with every word. He has collaborated with everyone from Jill Scott to DJ Jazzy Jeff and has released a staggering eighteen albums since his start in the industry, all the way back in 1994. Since this was a new name to me, I loved that Eric laid out his goals for the night, his career, and his overall life: to inspire, entertain, and serve. Eric and his amazing backing band did all that and more during their set at The Dakota on Thursday.

Stylistically, Eric’s music is very soulful R&B with glimmers of pop and rap sprinkled in. It’s a sound that I know but not one that I’m familiar with, which meant, at first, I felt a bit out of place, but, between listening to Eric and his band play and hearing him talk, it didn’t take me long to warm up to this out-of-left-field kind of sound. The thing that struck me the most about Eric was how he made his set so relatable. That was in the song choice, but also in the little stories he would tell between songs. Whether it was talking about not making that mistake at the club and making sure you go home to the right person or him shouting out his thirteen year old who was in the audience, there was just something so small world about Eric’s personality that it was so easy to feel like I had been listening to Eric for years and it was just another night of hanging out with an old friend.

Eric’s set read like a lifetime. I can feel myself backing myself into a corner with that statement already, but let me try to explain. Out of all the songs Eric has written during his insanely storied career, he picked ones that seemed to relate to a bunch of different times in life. From danceable anthems to more heartfelt sonnets, Eric’s set took me on a million journeys during his time on stage. I know this can happen at a bunch of shows, especially intimate ones like at The Dakota, but there was something different here. Looking at Eric, we probably have very little in common. He came off as a super put-together kind of vibe to him, and that is far from what I am yet, as he joked with the audience and gave us a little insight into personal stories and lessons learned through a life of experiences, I was quick to realize that Eric and I really aren’t that different.

Although this was definitely Eric’s show, there was no hiding the amazing musicians behind him. Like any professional musicians, the band members behind Eric knew when to play and steal the spotlight, but also when to let Eric take over. It was like watching a beautiful ballet of notes as I watched the band members get super excited in some parts and lean into the spotlight, but in the blink of an eye, they nearly disappeared into the darkness of the stage as if bowing down to Eric in a way. The give and take, along with the respect that this showcased, that these are not just musicians, these are friends on stage, and that will always add a dynamic to a show that makes it stunningly beautiful.

Thursday night was definitely a concert, but it felt like more than that. It also felt like a masterclass. It was a masterclass on musicianship with the abundance of talent that was on display, but it was also a masterclass on life with the stories and the way that Eric was so quick to connect with everyone in the audience. Doing this night after night, you see people who were born to be performers time and time again, and that is absolutely true for Eric, but it was more than that. Eric was born to be a performer, but also a bit of a life coach in a way, and the way he found a balance between those two things on Thursday night was as flawless as it was captivating.