Arlie Live at the Rumba Cafe
Photo by Carson Huffer
Before even a single note was played, The Rumba Cafe in Columbus, Ohio was positively buzzing with excitement for Arlie’s show on June 28th. The small local venue setting resulted in a crowd pressed up against the stage and teeming with joy in preparation for a night of fantastic music.
Jarren Blair kicked off the night with a stunning and interactive set. The Nashville singer warmed up the crowd fantastically as he played beautiful piano lines, belted out heartfelt lyrics with a wide vocal range, and cracked a variety of jokes about his life. The highlight of Blair’s set arrived in the form of his friend “JJ” also known as Arlie frontman Nathaniel Banks, who stormed onto the stage in a wig and sunglasses with his saxophone ready to go. The duo played a few songs, highlighting the bright sax lines of “JJ” and then in an interactive crowd moment split the crowd in half to sing a call and response of “I’ll Be Dancing On My Own."
Following Blair's energy came the spitfire set of Caroline Kingsbury, whose indie rock and roll charm demanded the attention of everyone in the room. While the Rumba Cafe stage is by no means large, Kingsbury did not let its size hinder her bouncing around and joyous dancing as she sang. Her vocals found a deep and resonant sound live that could only be described as ethereal, and the gritty rasp that she employs at key moments in her songs grounded the crowd back into the very fluorescent rock and roll star’s reality - and when I say fluorescent, I mean it. Kingsbury called her pink and teal outfit a clown suit, stating “I don’t know if you could tell by my fucking clown costume, but I’m gay! Happy pride!” To close out her explosive indie pop-rock set, Caroline quite literally said nothing after finishing her last track, unplugged her hot pink mic, dropped her guitar, and left, going off in the same blaze of glory she came in on.
Pitching the room into darkness, Arlie entered the stage at last and electrified the small stage of the Rumba Cafe. The band had a frenzy of energy amongst themselves throughout the set, continually renewing the crowd’s excitement as they careened through hit after hit. Guitar player Luke Saison and bassist Sam Hearn interacted throughout the set with other band members and the crowd in a way that embodied classic rock and roll stardom, and the camaraderie between the members was palpable as the show progressed on.
A comedic moment came out of the crowd midway through the set as BeReal went live for the day. One of the members of the crowd saw the notification between songs and yelled out “BeReal!” prompting a chorus of cheers and quick photo moments amongst nearly every person in the Rumba Cafe. Nathaniel looked admittedly confused at the momentary chaos, however, he seemed to laugh and continue through the set seamlessly once the photos calmed down.
Nathaniel talked openly about how important the Break The Curse album is to him, in particular the title track which he says signifies a moment of hope and the belief that change is coming. The love Nathaniel has for his music resonated throughout the entire set, especially coming to light within his reverent saxophone playing that gently caressed the crowd in a blissful jazz moment. Their set closed with a performance of hit “didya think” which included technical difficulties on Nathaniel’s mic, the crowd singing to fill the space, and a quickly stolen mic from keys player Ella Mine. Post-show, Arlie stuck around in the patio area of the Rumba Cafe for an impromptu meet and greet. While I was unable to stay, many of my friends adored meeting the band and getting to chat with the members.
Having never been to an Arlie show previously, I found pure joy in their explosive and expressive live music experience. The band members radiated the juxtaposing energy of both superstars and your childhood best friend, offering the crowd a massive set in an intimate setting. While I laugh knowing that Nathaniel shouted himself out in his list of the openers, refusing to acknowledge the wigged version of himself as anyone other than JJ, I also find such a pure sense of joy in these kinds of chaos that can only come with smaller, more intimate shows where every crowd member is in on the joke. The lineup of Jarren Blair, Caroline Kingsbury, and Arlie was a smash hit here in Columbus, and I am excited to see what comes next for each of these artists.
