The E‑Block
The Palace Theater
Albany, N.Y.
Jan. 13, 2024
A dense crowd huddled in the lobby of Albany’s Palace Theater Saturday to see local R&B group The E‑Block play a free concert. The crowd went no farther; this performance did not take place on the grand stage, but in the lobby itself, wedged into a corner across from the concessions stand. The unusual location, the unbeatable ticket price (literally free), and the unaffected performance of the band made it feel as if we’d stumbled upon an impromptu jam session among friends.
“I did not expect this many people to be in front of us,” lead singer Luke Pascarella said with a bashful smile, as though receiving an unannounced — but welcome — guest.
This was 2024’s first Palace Session, a live music series of indie acts performing in different spaces throughout the Palace Theater, all filmed for dissemination online. Previous Palace Sessions were played in places like the stairwell, the balcony, and on the roof outside over the grand marquee. The series started in 2020 as a way to connect Capital Region audiences with live music during the Covid lockdown, but the sessions continue after the world has reopened.
Though gathering in the lobby gave the performance a unique ambiance, there were a few downsides. The first was the sound — a lobby isn’t designed for acoustics the way a theatrical stage is, so the lead singer’s vocals got a little lost under the rest of the band’s instruments. The second disadvantage was a lack of seating, aside from a few folding chairs that appeared mysteriously without explanation. (An usher, when asked where more could be found, feigned ignorance as to their origin.) A few dozen people used the balcony stairs as bleachers, but most stood.
But the standing-room-only nature of the venue, coupled with the E‑Block’s infectious retro groove and mellow beat, encouraged dance. Very quickly a coterie of men who could only be described as uncles emerged at the front of the crowd, frolicking madly. (Regardless of the actual layout of any of the men’s family trees, each exuded powerful uncle vibes.) There was a porkpie hat uncle, a sweater uncle, a hoodie uncle, a skullcap uncle, a wiry Weird Al uncle, a Viking ponytail uncle, and an earring uncle whirling perilously close to the amps, but such is the drama and danger of live music.
The E‑Block is a five-piece R&B group from Albany with a dedicated local following. Their sound combines singer-songwriter vocals with a little late 70s soft jazz, a deliciously 90s rhythm section, and powerfully early 80s blues rock sax. It comes together to make solid music to vibe to — unless you’re an uncle, in which case the music will induce the same frenzy the Picts experienced by painting themselves with woad.
Next: I’m checking out Fever Pitch at the Linda.
