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Blue October changes its sound |
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Written by SNIGDHA ACHARYA / Photos by BARRY BRECHEISEN
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Tuesday, 28 March 2006 |
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When I stumbled home from the late night of drinking, my eyeliner still didn’t look as smudged and thick as Blue October’s lead vocalist Justin Furstenfeld’s.
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Blue October
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 Entertainment
 Art
Metro
Chicago, Ill.
March 28, 2006
Setlist
1. "HRSA"
2. "Calling You"
3. "You Make Me Smile"
4. "What If We Could"
5. "Everlasting Friend"
6. "Into the Ocean"
7. "Ugly Side"
8. "Balance Beam"
9. "Inner Glow"
10. "Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek"
11. "Razorblade"
12. "Hate Me"
13. "Come in Closer"
Encore:
14. "18th Floor Balcony
15. "X Amount of Words
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But the fans didn’t migrate to the Metro on a cold Tuesday night for make-up lessons. They were there for the music which for anyone who has seen Blue October knows that is one thing they deliver live.
From the moment Blue October takes the stage, you realize they’re not your typical rock band from Texas. The group was formed back in 1996 by Houston natives singer/songwriter/guitarist Justin Furstenfeld, his brother, drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld, multi-instrumentalist Ryan Delahoussaye, bassist Matt Noveskey and lead guitarist Brant Coulter. They released their first album, "The Answers," in 1998 and ultimately signed to Universal for their August 2000 major label debut, "Consent to Treatment." But with Rock radio non-responsive, they were soon dropped by Universal. By the time "History for Sale" was released by Brando Records in July 2003, guitarist Coulter had left the group and guitarist/vocalist CB Hudson was brought aboard. When "Calling You," on the "American Wedding" soundtrack, picked up airplay in Dallas and other Texas cities, Universal took noticed and re-signed the group.
The quintet is currently back on the road to promote their latest collection of songs off their new album, "Foiled." The band has amassed a strong, loyal following through the years and is one of the few rock groups with a dedicated violin player (who sports glued-on devil horns, no less). As Delahoussaye’s lyrical violin wafts through the Chicago crowd, you can sense rather than see the crowd’s almost imperceptible shift closer to the stage. But not all long-time fans know how they feel about the group’s latest effort and its departure from their usual alternative rock sound. It seems that the band’s new metal sound is a product of the return of bassist Noveskey. With Foiled, the band has not betrayed its roots entirely. With the first single "Hate Me," the band sticks to the familiar themes of love, betrayal and regret. Of course, the message is still delivered with lead vocalist Furstenfeld’s usual display of angst and anguish. Only time will tell whether Blue October will convert all its loyalists to the new sound and perhaps increase their fan base as well. But whether you enjoy their new metal sound or not, you won’t leave their epic live performance disappointed. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
