A short queue of 20 and 30 somethings emerged outside Paradise Rock Club on Commonwealth Ave on November 4th. This line grew steadily, and with it, the levels of noise, excitement, and heartbeats grew too. This was the line for Prateek Kuhad on his world tour, and I was there.
Photo credit: Saanya Kanwar
Prateek Kuhad is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Jaipur, India, but he is creating homes in the hearts of those around the world. His music is indie and folk-like, with influences from everywhere. To the older fan, it may seem as if Kuhad lives a double life as a musician. One is settled in the cinematic world of Bollywood, and one is in the concert halls across continents. Despite this, his music is fundamentally the same with heartfelt acoustic sounds that I would hear live.
This concert was held in Paradise Rock Club which is a small-medium sized venue, and this allowed for a closer and more intimate feeling. The stage had a drum set, a bass, a keyboard, and an acoustic guitar—all of which were played by a sum total of three musicians, including Kuhad. This heightened the fact of close proximity. There were no screens; you saw his face directly through your eyes. This is something that works well with Kuhad’s music, with its lighter instrumentation and acoustic tendency. This was also emphasized for a few minutes when Kuhad played a few songs alone and in its purest acoustic forms.
Photo credit: Saanya Kanwar
Creative expression was also seen through changes and choices of lighting. While this is not different from what most musicians do, the absence of other elements like stage props or dancers placed an incredible amount of attention on the effect of the lighting. Each song had a different set of colors, and this made the concert experience infinitely more magical. The lights were not too bright and did not flash. They remained as solid colors and moved gently across the stage and audience. Kuhad’s music is dreamy, and this accentuated this.
The concert as a whole was personally a wonderful experience. Kuhad’s vocals were always on point, and the band with him was just as great. Concerts have always been places of momentary escape, but Kuhad’s music and the entire concert experience lent for a dreamy and heartwarming experience.
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets!