Alex Band @ Highline - June 6, 2010

If you were at Highline Ballroom last night, then you know that there were a lot of things that made the night special. First of all, there was a good mix of the new solo material and some of his hits with The Calling (including Adrienne, Stigmatized, and the #1 song of the decade - Wherever You Will Go). I'll admit, Stigmatized was never one of my favorite songs off that record (I never hated it, simply liked others a lot more). Having said that, I also have to admit the song sounded very good live. He even did a special extended live edition with some good guitar riffs in the opening. Since I have always respected an artist more for their ability to play live over their recordings, I have to give kudos where they are due. This kind of connects to my next point - the most important factor to what amounted to a successful night.

The biggest thing that made the evening special was Alex himself. He is is a special guy, pure and simply (and I mean that in the best connotation of that word). This was shown from little things like an attempt to make eye contact with his audience (well, as best as he could with all the lights), to the sheer amount of energy he put into his performance. He has a good personality both onstage and off. He doesn't talk too much during the performance - that is a time reserved for the music and pleasing the fans. He even asks how he's doing about midway through the set, showing he cares how his fans are enjoying themselves so far. He saves most of the talking for after the set is over, which brings me to my favorite part of the evening.

After every show on his tour, Alex has enjoyed going to the merch table and talking to any of the fans who want to meet with him. A willingness to mingle with the fans is a common factor in all of my favorite musicians, but I especially loved the way Alex managed this. After the set was over and he made his announcement, everyone who was interested lined up at the merch table to buy things (more money for Alex = more music for us later on). Alex signed our CDs and posters without us even having to ask, talking to each person as he did so (and even taking pictures with whomever wanted them). This level of fan interaction is what will place him on my list of favorite artists. Alex has shown his dedication to his music and his fans trumps whatever money he could potentially make from this career path, which makes him an example of what more musicians should be like. Too often an artist will get a taste of success and let it take over for them. I hope Alex continues down his chosen path for years to come and is rewarded for it in the end.