On Sunday of last week, a few friends and I decided to go to a twelve dollar concert in a tiny venue outside of the Twin Cities all to see a guy called Alec Benjamin preform. He has opened for Jon Bellion and has toured with him, and is even featured on one of his tracks, a fact he told me the first time I saw him preform. There’s something special about Alec though, when he is singing he goes and meets everyone he can, spotting out people that he sees singing along during his set and giving them hugs, stating how much he appreciates them and their support. The first time I was lucky enough to see him, he guestlisted me to his show, in exchange for me helping promote his music between sets and after the show. After this he recognized me at his next show and chatted with me and the friends I had brought to the show. As we were leaving, he made sure to say that he was happy to see me again and couldn’t wait to see me when he came back and preformed with Jon Bellion.
There are many things to me that make a great person, let alone a great artist. The way that Alec has continuously carried himself in every situation that i have seem him in has just enforced the idea that he is an outstandingly kind and friendly as a human. He is sweet and made out of something special that makes him so compelling. And I haven’t even begun to speak about what matters most, his music.
If you go through Alec’s twitter, there are posts constantly about how he wishes to tell stories, and it’s blatently obvious that is exactly what he does. Each and every song he has paints a different setting, depending on what the story ot come will depict. The Way to Nowhere has a beautifully painted black and white feel, while The Water Fountain is completely different, almost seeming to be seen almost in sepia tones, and Tie My Laces has a gold tint. From the introduction of the first song you will hear by him, there will be this entangling moment where the lyrics will nearly overwhelm you due to their vibrancy and their careful simplicity. The song 1994 addresses a culture of growing up too fast in a post 9/11 generation and cultured rebellion against society and being forced into higher education regardless of how inaccessable it is.
Overall Alec and his music have made me a much happier person, and a more critical music listener. My expectations for lyrics have seemed to have skyrocketed after hearing the beautiful stories Alec creates, and hopefully someone eventually will come along and meet the bar that he has set for music for me.