It was a total joy to see a group of happy people gathered at the Music Box last night to cheer on Southern Cali native, Aloe Blacc. It felt like a KCRW family affair with Jeremy Sole in the house on the turntables to set the mood right before Aloe and The Grand Scheme made their grand entrance.
Becoming a member of the Stones Throw family means, almost without exception, that an artist will be traveling all across the world to perform for international audiences. Gigging all around the world with very little time to rest has to take its toll but it also shows up in the polished performance that can only be the result of hours of playing together.
Aloe Blacc and his band, The Grand Scheme, were so smooth. Watching them play together was like watching a very fine piece of machinery running on all cylinders. Which is not to say they seemed mechanical - quite the contrary, they felt very alive playing together on stage. Aloe was charismatic, conversational, and personal at all times - I felt from the moment he walked on stage that he was a friend rather than a distant performer. He’s probably one of the only people I know who can sing to the crowd to make a space in the middle of a packed floor for a mini Soul Train dance break and have it happen without even one person hesitating.
I walked into the gym this morning and “I Need A Dollar” played over the speakers into the ears of the still half asleep gym goers. I smiled remembering Aloe’s live take on the song with his little Reggae, Rasta voice. I highly recommend seeing him if he comes through your town, friends.
Aloe Blacc - I Need a Dollar from LRG on Vimeo.
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