In a rare moment of modernity during a set that mainly consisted of classic soul covers and pop standards, singer-songwriter Caleb Elder launched into a minimalist cover of Walk The Moon’s 2014 hit single “Shut Up and Dance With Me” to the pleasure of his younger audience members.
Elder’s arrival at Uptown Coffee Café on Saturday saw a crowd of mainly over aged 50 people tapping their feet, dancing and reminiscing over classic hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
Elder had the crowd from the start, opening with a cover of Otis Redding’s post-mortem classic hit “Sittin’ On the Dock of The Bay" that featured an ill-fated, albeit endearing attempt at the song’s whistling coda that left everyone smiling in its wake.
Elder’s lighthearted banter with audience members consisted mainly of self-deprecation, but his confident stage presence backed by room-silencing vocal prowess proved that he was no amateur.
Elder’s credentials stand for themselves; he was once a contestant on "The Voice," a nationally televised singing competition featuring judges such as Adam Levine, Usher and other pop icons. Elder was on “Team Adam," getting eliminated during the battle rounds, but not before receiving praise from Levine for the “great quality” in his voice.
Elder’s performance Saturday supported Levine’s claim; in a night that started with a light crowd, every song towards the end was met with loud cheers and applause from both the older audience members, who remained from the start and local college students, who slowly trickled in about halfway through the set.
“Great crowd!” Elder replied when asked about how the night went overall. “I love playing at Uptown. The folks there always ask me how I’ve been, and it’s just a great laid back atmosphere.”
The music of the night featured not only covers, but also Elder’s originals such as “The State” and a Delta Blues-influenced jam called “Can’t Help Myself.” Elder cites “The State” as one of his personal favorites because of its “fun, very not serious” nature. He stressed the importance that musicians should “have material like that in (their) repertoire.”
What’s next for Elder is a five-month gig on a cruise ship that will land in the Bahamas. He’s excited for the “traveling” and “new faces” that he’ll surely encounter for what will be his fourth contract with Carnival Cruise Lines.
In the meantime, however, he’s still close by in Appomattox, Va. working on his next CD that many audience members from Saturday night are surely looking forward to hearing.
