Surrounded by Warm Bodies, I Had Chills.

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Author: Bridget Benevides

Music is one of the few things that really flood me with emotion—music, puppies, and military homecoming videos. Music—and specifically concerts—overwhelms my senses. It gives me exactly what I need in those moments; it takes my breath away. X Ambassadors came to Seattle and quite literally left me choked up. They are an incredible group of artists and I saw them at The Showbox Sodo on Sunday, May 6th, and it was everything I needed/wanted and more.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

First to the stage was the three-person band SHAED, composed of Chelsea Lee, Spencer Ernst, and Max Ernst. They are an indie/rock/folk band opening for X Ambassadors on this tour and they have the same powerful but soft tone that you can hear in many of X Ambassadors’ songs. Chelsea is the lead vocalist whose voice is very strong and beautiful. I am really excited to have been introduced to a new band, and I am looking forward to listening them more in the upcoming weeks.

Photo courtesy of Random Nerds

The second ridiculously talented performance of the night was by Jacob Banks, a 26-year-old British singer-songwriter. His music was very soulful and loud, it was the kind of music you could cry to, use to get out of a bad mood, or I could even imagine it being the soundtrack to a beautiful existential crisis. I will definitely be listening to him more, adding him to some playlists and revisiting those feelings of joy he caused tonight.

Photo courtesy of Bandsintown

For those of you who don’t know (I didn’t) Casey Harris, the pianist for X Ambassadors, is blind. Despite his disability, he is an incredible musician, and the fact that he does what he does, while living with a disability gives me so much respect for him. There were a few organizations tabling at the Showbox that worked with people with disabilities which I checked out in between the opening artists. The Outdoors for All Foundationpartnered with Reverb as Seattle’s local nonprofit. The Outdoors for All Foundation’s mission is to “enrich the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities through outdoor recreation.” It was really great to get to meet the volunteers, hear about the organization and learn a little bit about living with a disability like blindness. If this seems like something you’d be interested in getting involved with, I highly suggest you check out their volunteer page HERE!

Photo courtesy of the artist’s website

X Ambassadors put on an incredible show. All four band members came on to the stage bearing ear-to-ear smiles and immediately started their first song “Ahead of Myself.” The lead singer, Sam Harris, had such an infectious energy as he bounded across the stage with his arms in the air. I love when the music is so loud that it controls the beat of your heart and it makes it so the there’s no room for the thoughts that usually invade your mind. I love seeing what it does to people and I love seeing the artists love the audience and love their art.

After a few songs the music quieted, and Sam talked to us about how Seattle holds a special place in his heart. He said that he and his brother Casey were born and raised in Greenlake before moving east, and he said, “In moments when I’m feeling down, I will remember this show.” Never have I ever seen an artist get more into their music than Casey Harris on the piano. He was such a beautiful musician and was moving so passionately with and to that music that is made my heart swell.

Photo by Sophie Evans

The one song that I needed to hear to make the night complete was “Unsteady”, and let me tell you, when Sam belted out that note “Hold, hold on to me…” chills ran down my spine. That man has one of the most powerful voices I have ever heard, with a range that reaches impressively high notes. Half way through the first chorus Sam looked out into the audience and shouted “Wait, what the **** is going on down there?” as he looked at two men in a brawl on the venue floor. He told his bandmates to stop playing the song and said “This is a safe space man, we don’t need any of that here. Can someone please get them out of here?” At that point many security guards rushed over to the two men and took them outside. Sam finished the song, flawlessly and every member of the audience sang along. At many points in the song he held the microphone out to the audience and we could hear our voices come together as one to sing his lyrics back to him. It was a truly moving experience.

Photo by Sophie Evans

After two rounds of “Unsteady”, they played “Renegades” and an acoustic version of “Litost” off their first album Love Songs Drug Songs. The room was so full of love as the band engaged enthusiastically with the crowd. I am so happy to have been a part of it. I think X Ambassadors will go down in one of my top five favorite concerts.


BRIDGET BENEVIDES | “We are your friends, we are your allies, become educated and do not silence yourself.” Sam Harris | KXSU Music Reporter

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