Gallant Was Poetry In Ecstatic Motion At Music Tastes Good

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After catching newcomer Gallant’s set at the MTG Festival Sunday night, I was immediately prompted to turn to my friend and say, “Well … Damn. The spirit is in him, huh?”

Don’t get me wrong, live shows always thrill me. But live shows where an artist basically leaves his heart on the stage are extra special, and Gallant does just that. Watching him perform is like watching a modern dance performance smashed up with a gospel church sermon. He slinks, he slithers, he is blown backwards and forwards with the force of his poetry, and it’s nearly impossible not to want to move or be moved to tears with him.

You can definitely catch old school influences woven through his music and stage presence: Babyface, Toni Braxton, Usher, Radiohead … the kid struts like Prince and croons like Maxwell, but his style is completely his own. Gallant is only 23 years old, and was allegedly told right out of college that his music didn’t fit the mold and he’d have to conform to base stereotypes to make it. Thank god he didn’t, and he hung onto every piece of his artistry that he was told he had to change: those lyrics, that sound that doesn’t quite fit a specific genre. Everything that made him a gamble makes him unique, and it’s all working here.

Falsetto is a specialty that blesses just a few artists, and the gift has definitely been given to Gallant. His clear, soaring falsetto belies the incredible depths of his lyrics, and honestly the combination likens to something like a religious experience.

I’d feel like a jerk if I didn’t mention the very able band: Dani Ivory on keys and smoky backup vocal, Dylan McGee Jones on bass and guitar who rips a pretty excellent guitar solo, and AJ Novak on drums who actually made me cheer at one point (which I love, because man are drummers under-appreciated).

To sum up:

Dear Friends,

If you haven’t seen Gallant live yet, what in the actual fuck are you waiting for? Go. GO. GO RIGHT NOW. Get tickets. Fly somewhere. Anywhere. Don’t ask questions. Just do it. You can thank me later.

Love,

A Really Enthusiastic and Brand New Gallant Fan

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CLICK HERE to check out the rest of our coverage of Music Tastes Good 2016