Alec Benjamin and Sara Kays give fans a night to remember, connecting with the audience through heartfelt music in a way that is truly beautiful.
The doors open a full hour and a half before the show, but that doesn’t stop fans from forming a line at the door anxiously waiting to secure merch and grab a good spot. The crowd consists primarily of small families accompanied by their young teens, as well as a handful of young adults. Smiles can be seen throughout the venue and the stage front is already crowded well before the night begins.
The first act of the night is singer-songwriter Sara Kays. At the young age of 23, this talented artist is already making waves in the music scene. In 2021, she made several notable accomplishments, including her first tour in the US and UK supporting Cavetown, and appearing on The Late Show with Steven Colbert. Sara is joined on stage by Jess Grommet who sings and plays guitar and keys. The duo starts their set with “Backseat Rider,” “When You Look At Me,” and “Home For The Summer.” The audience is mesmerized from the first note and sings along loudly with their hands in the air.
Between songs, Sara points out her turtle stuffed animal that is attached to her mic stand. She says she is torn between two names for him, and wants the audience to help her chose between Steve and Pickles. The fans choice is obvious judging from the loud applause, Pickles it is. Sara goes on to say she is going to make Pickles an Instagram after the show. If you would like to follow that account, it is @struckbypickles.
During her set, Sara asks if anyone has seen the Hannah Montana Movie and tells a story about performing a song from that movie for her school talent show. Sara then begins to cover “The Climb.” The audience goes absolutely wild for this cover. The exchange of energy between Sara and her fans is truly something to behold. Sara takes a moment to talk to the crowd about struggling with body image and her personal journey working through this tough topic. The crowd shouts compliments to her, telling her she is beautiful and amazing. Sara says these next two songs are about struggling with body image and begins “Smaller Than This” and her new single “Math.” Sara closes out her set with one of her most popular songs, “Remember That Night.”
April was an extremely exciting month for Alec Benjamin. During April, Alec performed at the legendary Coachella Festival, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel, and released his new album (un)Commentary. Alongside the guard rail at the Diamond Ballroom, two fan-made signs can be seen that read, “You helped me see 16, even with this shadow of mine.” These signs speak to the importance of Alec’s deep and emotional lyrics. It is a touching moment to see how powerful music can be and what it can do for those in need of it during tough times.
Alec starts off the evening with “Older,” “If We Have Each Other,” and “Dopamine Addict.” The entire room sings along to “Dopamine Addict,” and Alec is touched by the fact that the crowd knows all the words with this song being off his new album (Un)Commentary which was released only a couple weeks ago. Throughout the evening, Alec performs seven songs off the new album, all of which are very well-received from an entranced audience.
Alec takes a moment to talk with the crowd about this being his first show in Oklahoma and how impressed he is by the crowd’s participation and energy. During Alec’s speech, fans hold up more signs and Alec reads the signs out loud, one reading “My First Concert” and the other reading “It’s My Birthday.” Alec is thankful to share in this experience with fans and thanks everyone for making this night happen.
During his set, Alec performs “Such Great Heights” by Postal Service, one of his favorite artists. Alec performed an impressive 21-song set spanning over four albums. Alec Benjamin fans got exactly what they wanted out of the evening. Fans could be seen dancing all night and singing their hearts out. The love from the audience was really moving to be a part of. Alec gave fans a three-song encore. During his encore, Alec performed one of the fan favorites of the night, “Let Me Down Slowly.”
Alec Benjamin and Sara Kays will be touring through the middle of May. Alec will then be bringing the (Un)Commentary Tour to Europe and UK from June to August 2022 with support from Winona Oak.
ALEC BENJAMIN
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