Allan Rayman – Photo by Sarah Draughon
For those of you who don’t know, Allan Rayman is an up and coming R&B/soul infused artist from Lost Springs, Wyoming. He is a multi-dimensional artist who not only sings, but directs all of his music videos, which are more like short movies. He combines a variety of his songs and provides a visual story in his videos.
I had the pleasure of seeing him perform his previous album, Hotel Allan, last year at Barboza in Seattle, which ended up being an intimate show with a small crowd, candles, and red lighting which set the mood for the whole set. That show was one of my favorites of the year so I was excited to check out how he would perform his new album, Roadhouse 01, which was released at the end of February.
Due to his growing popularity, I was surprised he chose to return to Barboza again this year. This venue is located at the bottom of the famed Neumos in Capitol Hill and is known for its smaller, intimate shows. The sold out concert turned into an energetic show filled with new and old fans.
The opener was a local mariachi band who I was unfamiliar with until that night. I was interested in their choice of opening with this genre, but the trio was energetic and cracked slightly sexual jokes which ended up getting the crowd rowdy and ready for Allan Rayman to hit the stage. Interestingly enough, at every stop of the tour, the openers are local mariachi bands.
The crowd was pretty wild and did not stop once Rayman hit the stage. It was the same ambiance at his last show, dim lighting and candles lit, except this time he was accompanied by a DJ and guitarist on stage. Rayman remains pretty mysterious and the best way to understand, or get to know him, is to see his performance and interaction with the crowd.
Rayman opened his performance with his most popular songs from his debut album including “Tennessee”, “Graceland” and “Beverly”, which immediately set the crowd into a dancing, camera-flashing frenzy. This was a pretty unique move considering that many artists wait to perform their most
Allan Rayman – Photo by Sarah Draughon
popular songs towards the middle or end of their performance. He played a few more songs off Hotel Allan then transitioned to playing tracks from his new album, which a majority of the people around me knew the words to. If you have ever listened to his music, you hear the emotions and depth behind what he’s singing about. However, when you see him live, you can literally feel everything he’s going through, which is quite incredible.
Allan Rayman is one of the most down-to-earth and caring artists I have come across. He wants his fans to leave with an experience they can take with them, rather than simply watching him perform. The Roadhouse 01 Tour just begun so if he’s coming to a city near you, don’t hesitate to snag tickets before they sell out.
Pick up Roadhouse 01 by Allan Rayman on iTunes now and don’t forget to check out his latest video below:
