The line had wrapped around the block on a chilly Saturday night at The Echo, where a passerby had asked the fans waiting in line who they were there to see.
“Who’s playing tonight?”
“Amaria,” a fan replies.
“Not familiar with her.”
“Really good R&B music, there’s a harp. Good stuff.”
“I’ll have to check it out.”
Inside The Echo, I heard the opening performer hype up the crowd. DJ Sara Kawai mixed tracks, blending “Slide” by H.E.R. with “Kiss of Life” by Sade. The people on stage right, who had driven three hours for Amaria’s last show of the US leg of “The Free Fallin’ Tour,” felt like they had been transported to an entirely different time and place, hands on hips, dates twirling.
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When Amaria hit the stage, everyone was ready to live their best life. My first thought after hearing her open with “Over,” a sultry number from her 2024 release “Free Fallin’,” was that she might have been the Janet Jackson from the Damita Jo era and Sade love-child coming out of Tampa, Florida, that we all didn’t know the music scene needed.
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Now based in L.A., Amaria’s voice was effortless, sensual, sweet, and evoked an easy-listening vibe. Her love songs were enchanting. As “Lying to You” played, I found myself thinking she was one of those timeless artists and eclectic souls that Jo Kay from Soulection would have had us all falling in love with.
The room was filled with slow-dancing couples, hand-holding lovers, and friends lost in the melody of the piano and harp, eyes closed. The love was palpable in the air, and the vibes intoxicated everyone. Sometimes, the sound was a little too low on the mic, and a noisy group of girls by the bar got too loud. However, Amaria didn’t let it stop the show, and fans didn’t seem to notice. It was fun to watch as everyone enjoyed the performance.
When Amaria stepped off the stage to take selfies with fans at the merch table, she continued to shine bright like a Florida sunflower, even under the dim lights. The crowd was still buzzing, still raving about her unreleased song “Fallin’ Back,” along with favorites like “Moon” and “Endlessly,” while they danced and squeezed in a few last twirls before the night ended, and everyone’s Ubers carried them to their next destination.
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It’s a perfect date night, and I hope the couple that was slow dancing in front of me for the entire hour has many lifetimes ahead as their young love shines so bright.
Photos & Words by Asha Moné
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