In review: Allen Stone at Odd Fellows Hall

If I could, I would leave this entire review blank. There are no words to describe my experience at Odd Fellows Hall on Tuesday night at the Allen Stone concert. All I can say is, for those of you who weren’t there, you really missed out on one of the best opportunities to come to this small town in a long time.

The air smelled of paint, the lights were dimmed, everyone was standing, and the tiny room was filled with Urban Outfitters-clad young adults. DJ Rock Bottom, The Afterglow, The Spokes and Ant Chedda opened the show each with their own set. During Ant Chedda’s performance, Allen Stone took the time to sign autographs, take pictures and get to know his audience in the back of the room.

It would be a waste of my time and space to talk about the opening acts. I need all the space I am allotted to pour out my feelings about this gift from above.

Holy s***. Allen Stone: the range of Jessie J, the clarity of James Blunt, James Morrison and Jason Mraz, the profound lyrics of Adele and the soul of Aretha Franklin and Jesus.

There is no reason why this 24-year old singer shouldn’t be making trillions for every single performance he does. He connects with his audience, engaging them in dance-offs and a sing-along to “Bare Necessities”. With his cover of “Is This Love” by Bob Marley, he caused every single jaw in the room to drop.

Stone performed most of his songs from his sophomore self-titled album, and closed the show with “Satisfaction,” one of his better-known songs. Noting that there was an actual crowd for him that night, he genuinely seemed happy that he could share that experience with us.

He exited the stage to mingle with the crowd, blind to the fact that everyone was cheering for an encore. There was pure joy and excitement radiating from his face as he practically ran through the crowd and jumped onto the stage to perform the chilling song “Last to Speak.”

I wish I had more space to convey my appreciation and utter obsession with Allen Stone’s voice — someone please sign him so he can be heard all over the world.

ELIZABETH ORPINA can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Editor’s note: Click HERE to see a video of UC Davis psychology major and Liquid Hotplates member, Melissa Cancio, do a post-performance jam session with Allen Stone. Cancio, who did a cover of Stone’s “Unaware”, was contacted by a music label after her cover received major views on Youtube. In witnessing this heartfelt and impromptu rendition of “Unaware” with Stone himself on a cold Davis night, there’s no denying that this was an unforgettable night for Cancio who considers Stone a major musical influence.

Additionally, the concert was presented by ASUCD Entertainment Council. (Detail addition made on December 1st, 2011).