Upon entering the historic Old Town School of Folk Music, you are greeted by the kindest souls at the door helping guide you through this beautiful school. It is pretty rare to get to experience a concert in a place built in the 50s. The concert hall was a small and comforting space with beautiful hanging red drapes behind the stage, the instruments were basically touching the audience which set up an intimacy with the musicians and audience immediately. People started to swarm in with their cocktails and smiling faces, there was nothing but accepting vibes all around.
The excitement of seeing the amazing Emile Mosseri filled the room. Everyone has come from different areas of his discography from ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ to ‘Minari’. The connection to Emile’s music was so different but also very familiar, it seemed that his music has brought people together in a sense of safety and security.
Emile took the stage with a loud applause, Emile came on the stage smiling making remarks of how good the house music leading up to the concert was. Emiles first response as he stepped on stage was “What do you guys want to hear”, people started shouting their favorite titles to albums he has done like ‘King Jimmie’ or ‘Minari’. It seemed Emile had a great passion for his fans and what they wanted to hear rather than him leading the show how he saw fit. Emile started by playing a few songs of his new LP ‘trying to be born’, Emile soon faded into a type of ethereal fog within himself pouring out large amounts of emotion with his voice.
Throughout the show Emile had engaging conversations with the audience outside of him and his band playing. Emile kept a presence of being there for the people and not for just himself, this was an ethos that i think everyone could describe as being soulful. Tears were shed and cheering continued on to be seen as a night of passion and remembrance for all who attended.
Emile took me personally into memories I haven't thought about years ago, his music toward the end made me cry over things of the past that seemingly brought pain and peace during his Minari Suite.
After the show I had the pleasure to sit and have an interview with Emile. I asked him a few questions about his experience with singing and being a musician, how one can tap into emotion with such grace and free of fear. He told me in a 10-minute interview that the importance of performing for a musician is knowing that the music has an impact on the audience in some way. His comfortability of opening up about himself and his journey with vulnerability could teach a lot of people on how to not be afraid and to just keep going. Emile is a humble and generous person and it was an absolute honor to have seen him and his band live.
