Sunday night, the Pabst Theatre was absolutely filled with magic. Ben Rector headlined in Milwaukee for the second time on his “Extraordinary Magic” tour.
The show began with the lights dimming low, everyone anticipating the entrance of the singer/songwriter and his velvet voice. The opener was an alternative band from Memphis, Tennessee called The Band CAMINO.
They came out with extreme energy, constantly moving and never letting a boring moment slip in. The band consisted of five men, and lead singer Jeffrey Jordan, who also played guitar, let his emotion guide the energy on the stage. They played six songs, all with a different, funky beat.
The song that really caught the attention of the audience was “My Thoughts on You.” The lead singer sang a tale of what it is like to have to forget someone you used to the love and all the questioning that comes with the aftermath. They did the job of the opener and got the crowd on their feet and prepared for the main event.
When the lights went out, the crowd knew exactly what was going to happen. Small screams were here and there while the beginning of the first track of the album, “Extraordinary Magic,” began to sound. The lights began to switch in the background to the beat of the music.
Once Ben Rector spoke, everyone was on their feet. He wore a pink shirt with green and blue geometric shapes, and he later explained that a stylist picked it out for him to look “cool.” After playing the first few songs, he introduced the band so that the audience could know them better throughout the show.
The whole show itself was interactive. Halfway through, he came into the audience, encouraging everyone to join in. He even had a video screen come down and different videos played to different songs, like “Kids” which had attached different 80s kids’ movie segments.
He cracked jokes every once and a while which really emphasized his dry sense of humor. He made the audience feel special and kept their attention. He even included a “phintermission” in which everyone was given a two and a half minute break so everyone could go on their phones.
He broke out the old classic “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley with the music video playing in the background. He ended the magical evening with his biggest hit “Brand New” and had the whole crowd on their feet, cheering and holding until the last moment.
It was a memorable night at the Pabst Theatre that made audience’s souls feel alive and kept constant smiles on the faces of everyone who showed up to spend their evening with Ben Rector.
