Allen Stone at Varsity Theater
Allen Stone Setlist
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“It’s not always this easy… to love where you’re at!”
Soul artist Allen Stone celebrated ten years of coming to Minneapolis with a rousing show to a capacity audience at the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown, near the university campus.
Los Angeles singer/songwriter/musician/producer Nick Waterhouse opened with a too-short set of songs mostly culled from his three full-length albums, the most recent being 2016’s Never Twice (Innovative Leisure Records). Waterhouse and band was an ideal sonic compliment to the headliner, offering up a retro flavored soulful set that leaned toward a jazzy blend of rhythm and blues, with a touch of early 60’s swing.
Waterhouse and band gained momentum as the set progressed, flourishing mid-way through with his take on the 1964 song ‘Ain’t There Something Money Can’t Buy’, teasing with a new yet-to-be released song, then getting the crowd involved with ‘Katchi’, the somewhat nonsensical number originally done as a duet with Leon Bridges and later remixed by Ofenbach, to top the French dance charts.
Waterhouse ended things with 2012’s ‘(If) You Want Trouble’, leaving the crowd indeed wanting more; and more is what is in the offing as Waterhouse mentioned to me following, his next full-length is due out March 8, with a spring 2019 date already set at the Turf Club in St. Paul.
With large pastel paper flowers adorning the stage and jumping out excitedly in a pink suit and sneakers, Allen Stone began his ninety-five minute set with the blue-eyed (err, make that brown-eyed) soul gem of ‘Brown Eyed Lover’, which led directly into the clap-along groove of ‘The Weekend’.
Stone’s last full release was 2015’s Radius (Capitol/ATO Records), re-released the following year as a deluxe edition, but new music is due early next year, with Stone previewing some of that for the very receptive audience that crowded the venue’s floor and balcony.
“Minneapolis, you look good tonight!” Stone yelled to rave applause before the funky underbeat of ‘Perfect World’. Stone’s sound is a classic blend of R&B and soul, influenced by the early 70’s output of Stevie Wonder, The Meters and Donny Hathaway, with a more contemporary (and self-described hippie) twist on things.
Though coated with smooth soul, Stone isn’t afraid to get socially conscious either, as evidenced on the lyrics on ‘American Privilege’, ‘What I’ve Seen’ and early hit, ‘Unaware’ which closed the main set.
Highlights also included a Stone solo section of ‘Where You're At’ (a positive song about living in the present which the crowd sang along with) and ‘Give You Blue’ (prefaced by Stone’s openness about anxiety and depression and not being afraid to ask for help) and the new ‘Taste of You’, a sample of the new Jamie Lidell-produced music to come in 2019.
The two-song encore started (somewhat inexplicably) with an authentic and very rocking cover of The Police’s ‘Message in a Bottle’ before things reverted back into the more familiar soul sound of the jangly new and empowering ‘Warriors’, a song memorably performed at the Special Olympics in July with a 2000 member choir, and though the choir was missing this night, Stone succeeded in getting everyone to clap double-time to help propel the song to end the evening.
It may not always be easy to love where you’re at, but soundtracked by the celebratory soulful stylings of Allen Stone, the here and the now on this night at the Varsity Theater, made it the place to be.
(click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)
Nick Waterhouse | Nick Waterhouse | Nick Waterhouse | Allen Stone Tour Poster | Allen Stone Setlist |
Allen Stone | Allen Stone | Allen Stone | Allen Stone | Allen Stone |
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