Allen Stone

Allen Stone with Brynn Elliott //
The Chapel – San Francisco
June 23rd, 2015 //

Outwardly spoken about his disdain for modern culture and social media, soul/R&B singer-songwriter Allen Stone stopped by The Chapel this past Tuesday aiming to make a positive impact on an innately tech-driven audience. Enlisting help from his tourmate, up-and-coming folk songstress Brynn Elliot, the two managed to win over a sold-out crowd with their irrefutable charm and engaging performances.

Fans arrived early to check out Elliot, a novice singer-songwriter touring with Stone this summer before starting her sophomore year at Harvard in the fall. Resembling someone who could easily be mistaken for Stone’s little sister, the flaxen hair beauty earned the crowd’s attention with her dainty folk melodies and contagious excitement. She performed center stage, guitar in hand, and was backed by a band.

Brynn Elliott

Impressively belting out nearly all of her 2014 album Notions of Love, Elliot played a 45-minute set with some endearing banter between songs. She beamed with gratitude for the opportunity Stone had given her, but she also almost looked amazed by the moment.

Stone took the stage shortly thereafter to a resounding ovation from a room full of his fired-up fans, who both physically and emotionally ignited The Chapel with cheers and applause. Known for his crowd participation and “call to arms” banter, Stone started off the evening preaching his mission to establish a collective energy amongst those there to see his set. He asked the crowd to put away cellphones and to “drop your egos and tap into the music.” By that point, his disdain for modern technology was made immediately clear.

Allen Stone

In many ways, Stone’s ideological stance on technology shapes not only his set as a performer but also his fan base. Watching an Allen Stone show, one can feel certain that all pretenses will be left at the door and those surrounding you will be committing their full attention to the music.

Midway through Stone’s set, the venue was completely under his charismatic spell. The audience actively followed the Seattle-born frontman’s lead as he prompted a group participation “2-step” and rolled through crowd favorites from his self-titled LP and latest album Radius.

Allen Stone

Reinstating his anti-social media mantra throughout the entire performance, Stone, in one of the more memorable moments of the evening, jumped from the stage into the crowd to physically embrace some fans. The heartfelt moment re-emphasized the importance Stone continues to put behind such organic connections and authentic moments that he hopes his music can bring to light and will encourage people to give in to the unifying power that both art and the appreciation for it can have.

Setlist:
Freezer Burn
Fake Future
Say So
Celebrate Tonight
Symmetrical
Upside
Love
Million
I Know That I Wasn’t Right
American Privilege
Somebody That I Used to Know (Gotye cover)
Contact High
“Whoa”
What I’ve Seen
Sleep
Freedom
Voodoo

Encore:
Get Down on It (Kool & the Gang cover)
JB Groove
Satisfaction