Allen Stone w/ Kalu James at the Central Presbyterian Church, Austin -

AUSTIN – We are going to church today! Thanks to Allen Stone and Kalu James. It’s very common in Austin to have a concert in a church –Oh yea. Central Presbyterian Church was the perfect venue to host these two incredible artists. Kalu James, who opened for Allen Stone was accompanied by three other band members and delivered an enjoyable setlist. James was on a mission to fill the room with his voice and he did just that.

Allen Stone is a different beast. He got everyone out of their seats and emptied the entire back row. It was a sold out show, so you get the idea. Stone preached to the crowd, “our world spins faster than we’re suppose to orbit” … he then continued, “we often get caught up in things . . . but the love and the energy that you release to the world, you get back.” Stone has his own way of inspiring people not just with his songs but also with his words. Most singers will talk about some of their funny experiences or what’s behind a particular song; Stone took a different approach–after delivering a majestic feel-good anthem of Celebrate Tonight, he used the opportunity to speak about free love. “Time isn’t free, but one thing that is free is love,” a beautiful quote he threw in before inviting the masses to sing along, “I want some free love, I want some free love, give it to me” and mashed himself in the middle of the crowd giving out free hugs

This is one soulful singer-songwriter with explosions of emotions for every single song he’s singing. His entire band is no joke either. They’re a family that consists of A-list bassist/guitarist/keyboardist/back vocalists, a solid team to deliver powerful songs. If you have never seen Allen Stone live, you should. If you’ve seen him live, it’s a no brainer to see him again.

Article and photos by: Christian Sena