It’s not an unusual phenomenon for a couple of brothers and friends to form a band. It is unusual to be Ithacan, and perhaps even more unusual to be a successful band. The X Ambassadors, native to Ithaca (with the exception of drummer Adam Levin), did meet success. They made it in Brooklyn, a hub of rising young musicians, and were discovered by the world- famous Imagine Dragons. They’re big news. They returned to headline at the 6th annual “Benefit My State” concert back home on May 14.
Jimkata, a local band with a somewhat wide following, opened the concert. They had always been on my radar, but this was the first time I had a conscious presence at their performance. I was unimpressed. The few songs they played were mediocre, detached, and almost phony. I began to lose faith in the X Ambassadors when the second opening act began: the State Theater was not the place for electronica artist Robert DeLong. The regal, almost sublime setting seemed incompatible with his music, which, with little exception, would be unrecognizable as such to anyone born before 1980. The “Benefit My State” concert was not meant to be a rave. If any good came out of it, DeLong’s performance seemed to wake up the audience. People began to get up and dance, loosening up for the X Ambassadors, the main attraction.
The X Ambassadors themselves entered the stage close to their scheduled time, noted on the program as 9:01. After two subpar opening acts, my expectations had lessened, but when they began to play, it was real. Their music was a part of them, making for a truly engaging show. Witnessing them relatively near to their breakthrough, it became clear to me what leads to fame. The X Ambassadors are successful because they’re gifted. Their elements are coherent, and not only literally, but figuratively harmonious. Categorized as indie/alternative rock, they lean more towards the latter, reminiscent of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The highlights of the show included a few selections that had elements of soul, but what stood out especially were the instrumental solos. Frontman Sam Harris was skilled on the sax, and his brother Casey incredible on the keyboard. As a gifted, blind keyboardist, he has been called the next Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder. However, he has his own, genuinely original style. It’s full, it’s complex, and it’s busy—in a good way. I wish more time had been allotted to these instrumental solos; I spent most of the rest of the time waiting for one to come around while masses of audience members who had memorized some XA hits 20 minutes before putting on their crop tops sang along at the invitation of the almost excessively interactive Sam Harris.
When it became clear that the X Ambassadors were wrapping up their show, they paid tribute to Prince (they played—you guessed it—“Purple Rain”). The performance woke me up and proceeded to cause a lump in my throat to grow. Those who had been sitting down stood up; I felt a mutual consciousness of collective emotion. This sensation was infinitely magnified when the band honored Ray Charles, the legend of a blind keyboardist to whom Casey Harris compares himself. They played Charles’ signature song, “Georgia On My Mind.” To put the icing on the cake, the Harris brothers’ mother, a jazz singer, joined them on stage. It was superb.
Despite a rough start, I left the show content and proud of Ithaca’s cultivation of such artfully talented people. I’m eager to see where the band goes. I can certainly see a solo career for Casey Harris.