It poured. Like torrential downpour. If I had been en route to any other show, I would have made my way home, but for Frank Ocean, I endure.
Terminal 5 is not my favorite venue in NYC. As a matter of fact, it is my least favorite venue. Unless you are at ground level there isn't much you can see. And although the beauty of music is you don't have to see to enjoy, the whole point of the concert/show experience is to be able to see. Otherwise, I could have played the CD while lounging in my living room with just about the same effect. Minus all the people...
Once I positioned myself to at least see a little bit, it was on. He was adorable. His voice is remarkable. True talent doesn't need effects to alter the sound of the voice either on recording or live. Frank Ocean needs neither. His talent is real. His talent is amazing. He seemed almost shy, not interacting with the crowd often, barely at all. Which makes me like him just a little more. The crowd, on the other hand, had no problems interacting with him. SCREAMS. Singing word for word tracks that had only been released two weeks prior! It was an incredible vibe. A feeling of community. Togetherness for the purpose of hearing this poetic man pour out his emotions via song.
I can't tell you any one song was better than the other, because they were all equally great. It would be hard to decide, so I won't...
Hearing quite a few Channel Orange tracks live, made me realize just how much of the album I had neglected. Shame on me. After the show, which lasted exactly 1 hour 15 minutes, I listened to Channel Orange from start to finish on my commute home.
Frank Ocean has renewed my faith in new music.
