Playing to the desiring ears of a sold-out CFA crowd Wednesday night, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter India Arie had the audience up out of their seats, clapping and singing along to everything from ballads to R&B hits.
"Because I am a Queen" would normally seem like a pretentious opener, but in Arie's case it could not have been more fitting. The contemporary queen of soul took the reigns of her fully funkified band, which toted guitars, keyboards, drums and backup vocalists, to deliver a complete powerhouse performance.
Arie's soulful spectacular revitalized and resurrected meaning within her music, filling the hearts of those present at the main stage with deep-rooted warmth.
Fans accompanied Arie and her band in a fun cover of Stevie Wonder's "You are the Sunshine of My Life," with cell phones waving high throughout the air in place of the traditional lighter.
Dressed in a stunning orange gown, Arie switched between playing the piano, flute and guitar throughout the show. The guitar stood out as the most intriguing instrument, with pictures of late artist Ray Charles pasted on it.
With a voice that was both soothing and flawless, her interaction with the audience was, simply put, real. She spoke to her adoring fans as if they were her best friends sitting in a living room, rather than a cramped concert hall.
Going into a three-minute rant, Arie giggled like a schoolgirl at the seat of her piano, explaining that the next song she was to play had only previously been performed for her mother and was still untitled.
"I have to thank my girlfriend for making me come," said previously non-fan marketing major Brett Goldsmith in response to Arie's live premier of her beautifully strong ballad.
Arie went on to sing what she considered her theme song - the classic hit "This Too Shall Pass." She also covered a number of popular songs as well, including The Beatles' "Blackbird."
Opening act and Buffalo native Noah Bercy put on a show all of her own. Performing for 45 minutes, Bercy sang her heart out and earned the respect of both the audience and performers alike.
When Arie pulled Bercy back on stage, the young artist proceeded to get down on a knee and bow to the singer after her participation in the song. Arie reciprocated the gesture by explaining to the audience that she did not always like her opening acts, but this night was different.
Always exciting and full of surprises, Arie picked up her flute at one point in the show and wailed as if she'd been playing the instrument all night.
Discussing love, life and other empowering thoughts openly with the audience, the artist consistently earned a rise from the crowd.
The diva covered the Don Henley classic "Heart of the Matter," a song that she said described her best. Without warning, she creatively turned the song into Rihanna's popular hit "Umbrella."
With awe-inspiring songs such as "Private Party," "Get it Together," "I Choose" and "Good Morning," the air was filled with love and the audience clearly felt it.
Whether viewers and listeners were fans to begin with or not, it was nearly impossible to leave the show without a higher respect and appreciation for India Arie.
