Arriving for two back-to-back sold out shows from songwriters King Charles and Allen Stone, a line of people at least forty deep waited anxiously to enter City Winery NYC. Many of the crowd came from out of town and had a certain bravado when sharing with fellow fans previous shows they’ve attended, proving a sheer devotion to both of these artists.
King Charles, an English singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, embarked as a solo-artist on this leg of the fall tour. Gamble for a Rose, which was released in early 2016 was recorded on a farm in Devon, England, and produced by chum Marcus Mumford.
Showcasing singles like “Tomorrow’s Fool”, “St. Peter’s Gate” and new track “Find A Way”, Charles proved he is more than just a pretty image with his waxed mustache, man bun, and teal suede shoes. To show how talented this man is, he closed out his first set with a rather chill and melodic version of “Love Lust”, simply played on his guitar.
A pumped up King Charles emerged to open up the late show, singing the same song, but in a total free-verse style which got the crowd cheering. It’s evident by these two performances why Charles was the first Brit to win the coveted International Songwriting Competition in Nashville for his songwriting ability. King Charles is definitely an artist to watch and deserves to gain continued popularity across the US.
Allen Stone is proving to be an equally talented lyricist, and it really would have been a wonderful bonus if the two had collaborated on a song for one of the sets. With soulful voice and hysterical banter, Stone seems to be bringing back early storytelling, but with a modern edge.
All of his songs have fantastical stories that inspired them – some factual, others perhaps fiction as noted by his admittance of, “now for this next one that really happened to me”. While plucking his guitar and talking, Stone engages the audience in his musings which range from the personal tour struggles, to his girlfriend who he claims is a “kitchen ninja”, and to a tale of being strapped to a small Frenchman’s torso while skydiving in the middle of the night while on tour in France.
Inspired by Stevie Wonder (there’s a great story about him as well), Stone’s newest release, Radius, definitely has the soul and R&B sound of his icon. Judging by much of the crowd traveling from out of state and his ability to sell out two shows in NYC, Allen Stone is laying ground for his infectious genre.
Be sure to check out both artists as the continue to tour across the country over the next few weeks.
Check out additional photos from the evening by Amanda Eckert:
