Last night M&M’s sponsored an “intimate, exclusive, VIP evening” at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn as part of the Grammy Park concert series.
M&M’s provided opportunities for fans to take photos with the artists and handed out treats to get the crowd energized for what was bound to be a fun filled night. The featured artists were soul singers Aloe Blacc and Robin Thicke, and, for those lucky enough to have a ticket in, the performers did not disappoint.
Aloe Blacc, most known for his song “I Need a Dollar” and for his part in Avicii’s “Wake Me Up”, took to the stage first. His smooth voice and smoother moves won the crowd over almost instantaneously, raising them off their feet and luring them to give in to the call-and-answer nature of so many of Blacc’s tunes. Each song had a story and Blacc opened up to the crowd, letting them into the pieces of his life which inspire his music. Some of that inspiration came from M&M’s, celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year, who commissioned Blacc to update the Sammy Davis Jr. song “Candyman”.
Blacc’s most recent album title, Lift Your Spirit, provides a good theme for his set. “That’s what I want to do with music,” he announced to the crowd, and he followed through. Each song imbued the crowd with smiles and grooves, most evidently with the hit “You Make Me Smile” during which he encouraged the audience to embrace those around them in hugs. The group of New Yorkers didn’t think twice; Blacc had created an atmosphere in which everyone was carefree and filled with joy. “I came here to feed your soul,” he preached to his grinning, singing, dancing congregation. By the time he left the stage not a soul in the room was hungry.
After Aloe Blacc’s departure, the main event hit the stage and boy was it an event. A drastic change swept the theatre when Robin Thicke appeared. No longer was the auditorium filled with sweet, soulful tunes. It was then filled with high volume sound and lots of it. Only giving in to crooning one slow-jam, his 2007 single “Lost Without U”, Thicke stuck to upbeat, sultry songs that provided the best setting for him to fully embrace his title of “performer.”
Thicke used every part of the stage, including the top of his grand piano, as his playground. His extraordinary band followed his lead, even literally when, during the song “Oh Shooter”, Thicke lead them around the stage in a single file line. The ultimate showman even let the members of his band show off, each taking a solo and impressing the crowd with their immaculate talent.
There was no doubt as to what his final number would be. From the opening beats of “Blurred Lines”, the worn out crowd showed no signs of stopping as they shimmied along to the song of the summer of 2013. Thicke gave in to his fans and bounded off the stage, performing the second verse from the thick of the audience. Selfies were taken, “Hey Hey Hey’s” were shouted, and Thicke’s dancing was infectious.
After the final notes of the hit song, Thicke and his band took their curtain call and bowed to rapturous applause and adoration. Beach balls were thrown from the stage and the dancing continued even as the star made his way off stage to head to the meet and greet offered for select VIP ticket holders. As the crowd made their way into the Brooklyn night, one thing was certain — they were heading out with smiles on their faces and a groove in their strides.
