By late August, summer at Topaz Farm is beginning to take on a different character. The long days still bring plenty of golden light, but the fields are starting to show the first signs of the season changing. Some of the wildflowers that have surrounded the concert field throughout the summer are beginning to fade, while bright sunflowers are popping up to take their place. On August 20, under the late-summer sun, Topaz Farm welcomed co-headliners Allen Stone and Seattle’s The Dip for one of the most energetic and diverse crowds of the concert season.
This was probably the most diverse audience of the summer so far, with a wide mix of ages and backgrounds filling the field for the 16+ show. As always, people arrived early to enjoy everything the farm has to offer—smash burgers and brats, tamales, corn on the cob, watermelon, kettle corn, and farm pops, along with a good selection of beer and wine. With the afternoon heat still hanging over the farm, the food, drinks, open fields, and a little shade offered plenty of ways to settle in before the music started.
The Dip took the stage first, bringing their smooth, horn-driven blend of soul, funk, and R&B to the farm. The Seattle seven-piece has developed a reputation for a live show that feels like a modern take on classic soul performances, complete with a three-piece horn section, tight grooves, and a band that isn’t afraid to move with the music. Their live performances have been noted for keeping audiences dancing, with the horn players often becoming as much a visual part of the show as the sound itself.
Their set moved through “Paddle to the Stars,” “Slow Sipper,” “Doing the Z Thing,” “What U Won’t Do,” “Atlas,” and “The Scrotch,” with a cover of Lee Dorsey’s “Yes We Can” appearing in the middle of the set before they continued with “Head on a Swivel,” “Fill My Cup,” “Love Direction,” “Chanterelle,” “Real Contender,” and “Sure Don’t Miss You.” The combination of horns, rhythm section, and vocals made it nearly impossible for the crowd to sit still. Dancing started early and continued throughout the set, with the field gradually becoming less of an audience and more of a dance floor.
Then Allen Stone took the stage and turned the energy up another notch.
Stone is an artist who seems almost incapable of standing still for very long. His live shows are known for his enormous energy, soulful vocals, dancing, and an ability to make a large audience feel like part of the performance. Reviews of his concerts frequently describe the infectious connection he creates with the crowd, with audiences singing, swaying, dancing, and responding to his call-and-response style.
That connection was immediate at Topaz. By the time Stone came on, nearly half the audience had moved toward the front of the stage, and the dancing that had already started during The Dip became a full-on celebration. Stone moved through “Voo Doo,” “Memory of You,” “Naturally,” “Strong,” “Can’t Explain This Love,” “Mystery,” “Back to the Swing,” “Reason Why,” “Fire and Rain,” “Give You Blue,” “Consider Me,” “Brown Eyed Lover,” and “Unaware.”
The set moved effortlessly between Stone’s soulful ballads and his more groove-heavy material. Songs like “Consider Me” brought the energy down just enough to let the audience settle into the emotion of the music before Stone and his band would build things back up again. “Brown Eyed Lover” in particular seemed made for the Topaz crowd, with its infectious rhythm pulling even more people toward the front.
But the most touching moment of the night came during the encore.
Stone returned to the stage to perform “A Father’s Song,” a deeply personal song written for his children. As he sang, his young children came onto the stage with him, turning the performance into something much more intimate than a typical encore. Watching Stone sing to his kids in front of the crowd was sweet, heartfelt, and completely genuine. After an evening built around dancing and high-energy soul music, it was a beautiful reminder of the person behind the performer.
That combination of celebration and intimacy is part of what makes Stone such a compelling live performer. His shows can feel enormous and deeply personal at the same time. He has the ability to command a stage, but he also seems genuinely interested in sharing the experience with the people standing in front of him. His goal of making live music feel fun and communal comes through clearly in his performances.
As the evening wound down, the golden light softened across the farm and the heat of the day finally began to break. Around the concert field, some of the wildflowers that have been such a constant presence throughout this summer’s shows are beginning to fade, replaced by bright sunflowers popping up around the farm—a small reminder that the season is slowly changing.
Looking back at this year’s concert series, Topaz Farm has managed to offer an impressive musical journey, moving from bluegrass and Americana to folk, indie rock, psychedelic music, soul, R&B, and more. Each show has brought its own audience and its own personality, but the common thread has been the setting: great music, good food and drinks, and people coming together in the middle of the farm to enjoy a summer evening.
The Dip and Allen Stone offered two very different versions of soul music—The Dip with its tight, horn-driven Northwest groove and Allen Stone with his explosive vocals, movement, and undeniable stage presence. Together they produced one of the most dance-filled nights of the summer, with a crowd that seemed happy to forget about the heat and everything else for a few hours.
And once again, the farm provided the perfect backdrop: golden light, open fields, food from the farm, cold drinks, music drifting across the meadow, and a crowd gathered together to enjoy it all. At Topaz Farm, the setting may be relaxed, but the music certainly doesn’t have to be. – Jason Felton