Renee Jones
Good Morning Bedlam recently released their new album, Lulu! They debuted their newest member Dawson J. Redenius along with playing their entire new album front to back. I was fortunate enough to go to their album release show.
Amsterdam Bar and Hall filled up with a large crowd to support this very talented local band. It was a warm and happy atmosphere to celebrate the long-awaited album.
Lulu is an honest portrayal of the different experiences we enjoy and endure. Some things are elated and joyful like falling in love or being in a long-term relationship. Others are downright sad, like losing a family member, breaking up, or feeling sad amongst our daily routines.
The opening bands at Amsterdam were The Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League and Feed the Dog. They both impressed the crowd and pumped everyone up for the energy of Good Morning Bedlam. It was such a well-planned show.
The Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League
The Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League, from Minneapolis, MN, is the first opener to start. They have loads of chemistry on stage and are very fun to watch. I am blown away by their engaging set and their talent for music.
Self-described as jazzy pop, they are eclectic and fun! I am a new fan and hope to see them again.
Daniel Rosen plays rhythm guitar and Alan Peterson plays lead guitar. They enjoy themselves so much on stage and play a nice, clean set.
And I enjoy very much the violin played by Jonathan Halquist and how Matthew Blake plays on the string bass.
All in all, a great live band to see!
Feed The Dog
Feed the Dog comes on soon after. The room fills up quickly with an enthusiastic crowd. I was brought back into the venue area quickly after grabbing drinks due to the cheers and excitement emanating from it.
It is clear they had many fans there as they held up their arms and danced! There’s much cheering and noise.
They have a lot of talent on stage, including a fiddle player who is very fun to watch. I think it’s generally known and accepted that opening bands can be ignored, but Feed the Dog impressed and could not be forgotten!
A genre-bending set indeed, they have a bluegrass/jam rock sound. They look calm and confident on stage. Another great band to see!
Good Morning Bedlam
Good Morning Bedlam comes on the blue lighted stage and Tori Elker starts singing “I Am Sad”, a beautifully honest song about dealing with sadness even when life seems to be going well. She is a captivating singer and performer and all attention is on the stage.
Her vocals are very sweet and bold with a touch of melancholy needed for the song. It is incredible how someone can express all those emotions and make it an uplifting stage performance.
Isaak is also a dynamic singer, singing softly to powerfully. The album production is exquisite but my favorite experience will always be seeing him sing live! He sings in a way that feels familiar to the songs from the albums but adds a vulnerability by letting go a little on stage. He has the knowledge and talent to perform well to the crowd and knows when to let his voice go wild and strong and overtake the room.
“MY BEST IS SAD” Tori yells as I’m pulled back into the concert. Sophia Mae leads Isaak and her into an instrumental part of the song where they all play intricately together. The violin is such a key part of what makes these songs come alive as if it is the fourth vocalist of the band.
The accompanying violin from Sophia solidifies this song as my favorite on the album and certainly my favorite live. Sophia brings so much life and sweetness to the band. She has a wonderfully sweet voice making this band have three great vocalists.
It’s impossible for me as a fan to choose which one should be the lead singer so I am grateful they each take turns singing. Yet, they create songs that all fit together in an artistic way that creates a genre of their own. Adding Dawson will grow the band musically and add to the fullness of their sound.
Another noticeable feature of their music is they have a talented way of playing very fast and contrasting it well with slow parts. It’s a band that many people can like because there are a lot of styles blended together.
They played with seven band members tonight, adding Noah Pearson, the original banjo player, Mitchell Nelson from Rochester, MN on drums, and Johnny Bones from Coyote Kid on Trombone! They all made the live set sound really full and exciting.
It’s so hard to follow up an album as great as Like Kings, but on Lulu, they took their time and dug deep to create a poetic and beautiful album full of catchy and intense songs!
Some songs on the album are slower and they venture into a pop song. The album still brings the intense energy and deep storytelling that Good Morning Bedlam are known for.
Another high point of the show was seeing the sweet song “Hold Me”, and the saucy & spooky songs “Haight Blue” and “Haunting”.
“The Haunting” is about being in love and in a long-term relationship. Eventually, the high feeling of love and passion comes to conflict and the inevitable surprise of sharp words. It is as if the heart is haunted by the love despite the conflict that can come between the couple.
It’s difficult to be real and optimistic about being sad and the songwriting does not disappoint.
Isaak stops the set before the next song “Enough” to talk about being loved. Sometimes with the hustle and bustle of the world, it can feel like we aren’t enough. He reminds us that we are loved and we have hope.
“Enough” is catchy and sweet and creeps its way into my mind to encourage me when I’m struggling with a difficult situation.
Sophie leads the next song, “You Are Going to Miss Me”. It is a highlight of the album as a sassy song. Isaak sings along with a perspective of the guy in the breakup, even taunting her that she will be left alone with her cats.
It is clever, funny and it shows off Sophia’s talent so well!
As Sophia sings and plays, the crowd waves their hands around in admiration. She jumps down to the floor and sings the slower parts to the close-by fans.
Salt is the next song played on stage. It is a beautifully sung song written by Tori. It is heartfelt, honest, and stunning.
Good Morning Bedlam close out the set with an encore of a few older favorites from previous albums. The show ended on a high note and the full room cheered loudly their applause and approval.
Catch them on tour this spring! They also play the Blue Ox Festival in Eau Claire on June 23rd!
Comments
0 comments