by Renee Robbins | September 16th, 2024

All images are from Alec Benjamin’s - 12 Notes Tour in Orlando, FL on 9/16/24.

Although you may not imagine yourself heading out to a House of Blues on a Monday night, Alec Benjamin made it worth it for Orlando fans who came out to catch him on the 12 Notes Tour on the 16th. The 12 Notes Tour was announced just a few days after his album by the same name was announced, and began at the beginning of September in San Diego, California.

On the 12 Notes Tour, Alec was joined by opener Matt Hansen who immediately won over the crowd with his voice, his guitar, and a whole lot of stage presence. Matt’s energy got the crowd warmed up, and it felt like he was the perfect match for a headliner like Alec; it wouldn’t be surprising if fans left as a fan of a new artist that night. Throughout the opening set, Matt played a variety of his music, including a song that came out within the last month called Strangers Again. The crowd was clapping, swaying, and even singing along during the whole set, and you can feel the energy in the room rising as it got closer and closer to the time that Alec Benjamin would perform. After Matt closed out his set, the crowd waited patiently as a bedroom-like scene was set up on stage.

When it was finally time, the lights were dimmed and the crowd was screaming; all you could see was a silhouette come out and sit down at the desk that was placed in the middle of the stage. To the right of the desk was a small bed, creating the ambiance of a bedroom you might journal or spend time thinking in. Around the bedroom scene the band was set up, featuring two piano setups and a drummer to accompany the set. After a few very long moments, the lights came on and you could see Alec sitting at the desk, which would later be his station for note-writing.

The set opened with I Sent My Therapist to Therapy, a song off of Alec’s newest album, and the title of the tour, 12 notes. The crowd immediately erupted in choral singing as Alec moved around the stage. From the second the show began, you could feel his connection to not only his music, but also his fans. As the set continued, the crowd only got louder and more energetic, making it clear but strong of a fanbase they are. Alec played news songs such as The Arsonist, surrounded by red lighting and some of the loudest singing of the night, as well as songs such as Outrunning Karma and The Book of You & I from his first two albums respectively. Each song was met by the crowd singing and dancing along, and Alec making his way back and forth between each side of the stage to interact with fans.

Throughout the set, Alec would stop between songs and sit at the desk and pay homage to the title of his tour and album and begin to write notes. This was a fun, personal touch to the tour where Alec would talk about something happening in the crowd and write a note about it. This included him reflecting on a fan who gave him a painting that was done by a turtle, leading to his writing a thank you note to the turtle. Another one of his notes went to a young fan in the audience who was only five years old and shared that Alec was his first ever concert. The notes not only tied in the overall theme of the tour, but were a fun and personal touch for fans.

The show continued to the end with the same energy that Alec came out on stage with. About halfway through the set, Alec played a short acoustic demo of a song that will be releasing on the deluxe album which comes out Friday the 20th, featuring 4 additional ‘notes’ and therefore going by the name 16 Notes. The show ended with an encore of 12 Notes, named after his album, and Let Me Down Slowly which would finally bring the show to its end. Overall, Alec brought energy, fun, and excitement to the House of Blues stage, and fans seemed to be having the time of their life throughout the set, no dull moment in sight. If you have the chance to catch Alec on the rest of his 12 Notes tour, it’s highly recommended that you do.