Saturday, April 16, 2011

CONCERT EXPERIENCE: OH WHAT A NIGHT!

On Saturday April 16 at 12:38 am I made the best decision. I chose to see The Bright Light Social Hour. It was a long day. I was tired and in low spirits. But I couldn't pass up the chance of seeing one of the best live bands in Texas, and probably the world! Yes. That's how good they were. So in spite of smelling and looking like the Gulf of Mexico (due to a zoology class field-trip) I drove over to Old No.2 where I was blown away.

I can't say much about the opening bands since I arrived one song into The Bright Light Social Hour's set, but I heard the boys of Automatic Weekend and The Young Maths rocked the house.

So now's the part where I explain why The Bright Light Social Hour was phenomenal. 

1. The music: If you've had the chance to listen to the BLSH's debut album then you'll know that their music is food for the soul. It's a bit hard to describe their music in one word but I'll go with their bio's description: classic rock, contemporary indie, rhythm and blues, dance, and soul. This album convinced me to go to Old No.2. I mean I couldn't pass up the chance of acquiring a hard copy! Memories of the album lead me out my door and into the dark streets like a mechanical zombie instinctively approaching its call for human flesh. The live performance of these songs was extraordinary. Songs lasted from 3 to 12 minutes with build-ups that made you move. The coolest part was when they sang an improvised tune with the rhythm of the 12 bar blues. The partly-improvised lyrics would have made any sweet little old lady run for the door. I'll post a clip of it below and you'll see why. 

2. The energy: The band was uber-energetic. With a glance at the stage you might have witnessed: a long-haried keyboardist with exposed chest hair slamming his hands on the keyboard so hard that the keyboard stand would sway left and right; or you might have seen the bassist with his perfect "spicy" mustache jumping up and down; or the guitarist strumming his guitar so passionately that it made you understand what the blues were all about; or the drummer on the corner of the stage drumming with the vibrant spirit of an unrestrained child. Not only was the band excited but so was the audience. The turn-out was great, probably a few hundred in attendance. It was a crowd that made B Live proud. Our feedback consisted of lots of clapping, snapping of the fingers, jumping, fist-pounding, sing-a-longs, plenty of yelling and even a brief quarrel between two members of the audience! The quarrel, however, didn't stop the BLSH from doing there thing and the audience was more interested in the band that most people kept bobbing their heads not realizing that a mini-fight had ensued.

Well I think my point has come across by now. Not only are The Bright Light Social Hour a group of talented musicians but they are bona fide rock-stars. And this my friends is why I am happy to have made my 12:38 am decision. I would encourage any fan of music to attend one of their shows. Maybe I'm right. Maybe I'm wrong. You decide. Plus I got to see Jack's famous mustache. It is truly beautiful. Check out some footage below...

The song that would make any sweet little old lady run for the door:

and...


the fun electronic rock tune "back and forth":