Tag Archives: Aloe Blacc

North Coast Music Festival 2013

North Coast Fest2013The 4th annual NORTH COAST MUSIC FESTIVAL (NCMF) will take place August 30- September 1, 2013 at Union Park in Chicago, IL.  This year’s performers include: Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Just Blaze and more! Tickets are now available at Clubtix.com!

North Coast Music Festival is produced by a group of independent promoters based in Chicago, IL. Between them they produce hundreds of events each year, including multiple festivals in the Midwest, one off events at Chicago’s premier music venues, street festivals, and more, that attract thousands of fans and artists from all over the world. For more information on the festival, visit www.northcoastfestival.com

Festival line up:

WU-TANG CLAN | AFROJACK | BIG GIGANTIC
NaS | The Disco Biscuits | Lotus | Mac Miller
Gary Clark Jr. | Rebelution | Purity Ring | Laidback Luke 
Datsik | Madeon | Skream | Paper Diamond
Claude VonStroke | Future Rock | Conspirator
RL Grime | Danny Brown | Aloe Blacc | AlunaGeorge | Just Blaze
Capital Cities | Seven Lions | JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound
El Ten Eleven | Cherub | Poolside | Flatbush Zombies | On An On 
Bondax | Midnight Conspiracy | The Knocks | DVBBS | heRobust
Zoogma | French Fries | Dean Cohen | Russ Liquid
Manic Focus | Thibault | K Flay | Brassft Punk | Ghost Beach 
Porn and Chicken | Ghosthouse | The Coop | Gemini Club

Aloe Blacc at the Shrine

Aloe Blacc Show
The Shrine Chicago
Thursday, June 17, 2010

By Toyin Alaka

Right at 12:30 a.m. a band called Grand Scheme does a warm up for Aloe Blacc.  Just the name Aloe Blacc would raise a few eyebrows; however if you watched the HBO series How to Make It In America, then you’ve heard Aloe Blacc in the theme song “I Need A Dollar” and you quite simply as I did, had to find out who he was. 

From the tilt of his hat to the dark jacket’s popped lapel along with a scarf around his neck down to the pants and shoes he could easily be a reincarnation of Marvin Gaye or  from the first wail of his voice could be Bill Withers or easily Al Green.  He gives us all our beloved favorites and yet he is quite simply Aloe Blacc.  

Aloe Blacc is a funky, soulful and passionate singer all is evident as he sang Bill Withers “Use Me”, and then his own song “Hey There Brother”.  He does a rendition of “Love & Happiness” that acts as an intro to a song of his about people who make you smile.  He performed a bluesy rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” before performing “I Need a Dollar”. 

He held the audience in the palm of his hands the entire evening with his storytelling and soulful voice.  He is comfortable with himself and his music.  I cannot wait to hear more when his album entitled “Good Things” drops September 14, 2010.