“This is just a mic check (plays Korg keyboard).
The show ain’t even staaarrrted yet.
Mmmmm… this is just a mic check…”
Aloe Blacc proving he can sing any ol’ shit and make it sound hot.
It’s around 12.30 in the AM region, and a skinny guy in a black Stones Throw t-shirt emerges onstage at Revolver. He begins tinkering around with the instruments. A trumpet. A keyboard. A Mac laptop full of beats. Three microphones. I’m thinking… ‘Ok, that might be Aloe Blacc, but where’s the rest of his band?’ Har-dee-har har (that was my pirate laugh), as the joke’s on me. Aloe Blacc IS the goddamn band.
I know the term “one-man band” gets tossed around a lot, but this guy was the real deal. I see now why he was introduced on the night as “Aloe Blacc: multi-instrumentalist”. He not only raps but also sings, plays trumpet, keyboard and makes beats. As a beat-maker and live drummer myself, I envy those who can master live melodic instruments while also being a quality beat-smith and production guru. I am envious because when one has these talents, they can be totally self-reliant when it comes to spewing forth their own musical visions at whim. Mr Blacc, armed with this mini-array of talents and capabilities which go beyond the limiting scope of hip-hop, put on display his love of all music, ranging from contemporary boom-bap to acoustic Brazilian shit, samba, jazz, inspirational power-ballads and (in his own words) neo-soul. I was pleasantly surprised that he was able to pull off each differing style with ease. What I saw was the relaxed finesse of a seasoned veteran totally being himself in the form of his music, and having a shitload of fun as a result. The vibe permeated into the crowd and got them moving to the same groove.
When the hip-shaking ‘Bailar… Scene I’ and ‘Nasciment… Scene II’ (from his 2006 album ‘Shine Through’) were performed, with their guitar-and-drum-driven centerpiece, it not only got the crowd dancing but also Aloe himself. At that point he was just showing off, because he KNOWS anyone writing a review of the show was gonna be like, “Well, I guess we can add DANCING to that lengthy list of talents… man I hate that guy”. Of course by “hate” I really mean “I wish I could possess the talents that this man does”. Yes, I wish I could move my hips like he did, and do that same sexy samba man-dance. But alas, jiggling my burgeoning man-boobs and love-handles didn’t sound all that appealing, so I minimised the jiggle as much as possible.
Preceding opening acts included South Yarra locals Rachel Berry & Band (feat. Jolz & Mista Savona) were DJ Aux-One and dance-hall artist RuCL. Aux-One was spinning funky grooves mixed with modern soul shit, with a couple of notable track selections being the Red Astaire remix of D’Angelo’s classic ‘Left & Right’, and J Dilla’s ‘Fantasy’ (feat. Pacific Division) from the bootleg version of Dilla’s ‘Jay Love Japan’. Rachel Berry and band were impressive, and yet another reminder of the funkin’ talents in our own backyard. It’s always nice to see Australian music-lovers who don’t maintain the tall-poppy syndrome actually supporting local acts, especially ones who deserve it. The band’s style was rooted primarily in funk with guitar, keys and live bass, all mixed through with bangin’ beats played from the decks. You’d think a funk band lacking a live drummer would be a problem, but it works a treat when the person behind the beats knows what they’re doing. RuCL (pronounced “roo-cee-ell”) is an immensely-talented dance-hall artist whose style varied from reggae to dub and hip-hop (he rocked over 50 Cent’s ‘Ayo Technology’ as well as Tim & Magoo’s ‘Indian Flute’), switching up his accent along with the style.
All up it was a highly-rewarding night of music, and not a bad first outing for myself to Revolver. I’d never bothered checking it out before that night, but its mish-mashed aesthetic is something I’ve seen in a lot of clubs I’ve come to love. Random posters on the walls, crossing traffic lights in the toilets, lampshades hanging upside-down from the seemingly-decaying ceiling. Someday I wish to be bold enough to decorate a whole room in my house in a similar style, but for now I’ll stick with another visit in the future.
