The Almost-Apple Store Appearance
January 19, 2013 SoHo Apple Store New York City, NY
On Saturday, January 19th, I was invited to attend an interview and an acoustic set by The Almost at the Apple Store in SOHO. I got to the event early enough to watch them do soundcheck. What first caught my attention, aside from Aaron Gillespie's wonderful voice, was that instead of doing the usual "check, check, 1, 2" routine, he was crooning and almost putting on a little side show to begin with. To be completely honest, I had never heard of The Almost before, but I had a good feeling about the event already. They left the stage and soon after an Apple employee introduced them and brought the guys back on.
The interview was as standard as most other band interviews, but it was the responses from Aaron that really lit up the room. It was immediately clear to me how passionate he was about his music. The answers he gave the interviewer were articulate, funny, grounded, and heartfelt. It was obvious to me that Aaron is a great leader of his band and also a man who's very in touch with himself and his emotions. Essentially, he had the entire audience captivated. I could feel the energy in the room. Everyone was at ease listening to the bands responses and laughing along with them as well.
I didn't think it was possible, but the atmosphere got even better once the audience Q&A began. What really caught me off guard was the fact that the first man to ask a question, didn't ask a question, but gave Aaron and the band praise. He explained that he had never heard of them before, but was walking around the store and decided to sit down and listen. The man explained to them everything I had been thinking. He told them how impressed he was with their thoughtful responses along with their energy and charisma. He told them never to lose that and they will go very far in the end. Aaron took the praise with humility which impressed me. The questions that followed were very well thought out. The one that sticks out most in my mind was someone asked the band if recent marriages and personal family business had changed the groups dynamic at all. Aaron couldn't have answered it any better. He simply told her that it had actually brought the entire band closer together and they felt more like a family themselves. The interesting thing is, that question didn't necessarily need to be asked. The way Aaron and his band laughed and answered questions together made it clear to me how close of a family they really were. As I keep saying, I was very impressed by them. Almost charmed.
Once the Q&A was over the band played a handful of songs. A couple off of their upcoming album, and a few older songs as well. Aaron advised us that their equipment had gotten stuck in the elevator below the store and was still sitting there. He seemed almost as amazed as we were when he told us that Apple was kind enough to run out at the last minute and pick up some new guitars for them. However, this forced them to play every single song in acoustic format. Aaron was honest and said that the way their new single, "Ghost," would sound using acoustic guitars was up in the air. I'll be honest myself, I've never heard the studio version of "Ghost", but based on the crowd's reaction and mine as well, they nailed it. Their ability to adapt on the spot like that showed me how truly talented they all are. I can't say it enough but I was very impressed with Aaron and his band. I walked away from the event having learned something from them. Being there in the audience was very rewarding and cathartic to a degree. If any of the band is reading this, I'd like to personally thank them for making my Saturday.
Later that evening, I watched The Almost perform at "The Studio," the smaller more intimate venue within Webster Hall. First off, I could tell these guys were very focused. Their demeanor had changed drastically from the interview. Basically, what I'm saying is they looked ready to fucking rock and roll. Once again, they brought so much energy into the room. Aaron's head-banging was crucial. All the guys ripping on their instruments was amazing to see as well. What I loved was the fact that before each chorus on a few of their songs, Aaron would tell everyone to just start jumping around with him. Similar to what a DJ does before he "drops the bass." To give you a visual, as I was taking pictures, I had to compensate for people in the crowd consistently bouncing off me. Which was no problem; it got me dancing as well. These guys just lit up the room up. The crowd was feeding off their enthusiasm. In the end, I was very glad to have spent so much time with The Almost on Saturday. If there's one thing we should all learn from Aaron, it's that he's a man who loves to give energy to others. We should all strive for that.
Article and all pictures copyright MusicBox Entertainment 2013
