Dark is the Night at Radio City Music Hall

Last night at Radio City Music Hall, I fell in love, died, came back to life and found God all under one internationally renowned roof.

Legendary Rock n’ Roll demigod, David Bryne –of Talking Heads fame– headlined the most captivating rock, folk and soul concert I’ve ever been witness to: Dark Was the Night, a four-hour sonic gift for a crowd of about 5,000 at Radio City Music Hall from a few of the most stunning performers from the past and the present.

Before the night was over, Bon Iver, David Bryne, The National, Dirty Projectors, Feist, My Brightest Diamond and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings all graced the stage.

Dark Was the Night is a benefit  concert where all proceeds from the door sales and merchandise go to AIDS research. In the 20 years the concert has been going on –David Bryne was the first artist to sign on in 1989– they’ve raised over $10 million for the global fight against AIDS.

Each artist played around 4-5 of the most heart-wrenchingly, achingly beautiful to wild, raucous tunes they could muster. Bryne obliterated the crowd repeatedly with his world-music drenched harmonies and Feist, Bon Iver, The National and My Brightest Diamond kept the mood of the hall dreamy and ethereal with many duets and low, folky melodies reminiscent of boxcar-Americana music from the Great Depression.

And tostamp out the evening, Sharon Jones and the Dap King set the house ablaze with their post ’60s melange of soul and funk with a hint of the late-James Brown.

The evening closed with a full-on sing-a-long with many of the bands singing a lite-hipster version of “My Country ’tis of Thee” … that is until Sharon Jones reemerged from backstage to tear it down once more.

It was quite possibly the best show that’s ever happened in the history of musical performances.