Saturday night Houston’s very own Blue October brought us an emotional rollercoaster wave of sounds with a completely sold out show at 713 Music Hall. Joining them on the ride was Austin based classic American rock band Beatnik Bandits. This was Blue October’s second night playing in their hometown for the weekend and you could tell it was definitely a celebration to say the least. Being a fan of Blue October since I was in junior high, it wasn’t my first time seeing them live, in fact I’m pretty sure I can count on both hands of being in their attendance but this time was even more special since it was my first time being able to photograph and review their show.
Beatnik Bandits opened the night with an eight song setlist starting with “Junebug Stomp” bringing in loads of energy and fun. I don’t know much about these guys since this was the first time I’ve ever seen or heard of them, but holy heck they put on one hell of a show. The four piece group knew exactly how to get the crowd riled up and out of their seats for the night ahead of them. From running around stage to jumping to even bringing out guests (and what I assume backstage fans) to join them onstage to party alongside… These guys had some SERIOUS energy and had absolutely no problem unloading it all to the crowd.
It was truly a blast to witness.
Blue October then filled the venue with obvious deep blue lights and moody feels and started off their set with “The Kitchen Drawer”, “The Way I Used To Love You”, and “This Is What I Live For”. Lead Vocalist Justin Furstenfeld never disappoints when it comes to engaging with the fans while performing, and making eye contact with everyone as if he is singing directly into our souls, it’s always a pleasure being able to attend any of his shows while he’s in town, rather if it’s with Blue October or on his own solo acoustic sets. He knows exactly how to get deep down and personal with everyone attending, which makes it just simply even more of an incredible experience. You could definitely tell he was ecstatic to be there that Saturday night, as he was strutting back and forth across the stage with a huge smile on his face. He thanked the crowd many times for sharing the night with him and how proud he is to have Houston as his hometown and how much he truly loves being “Home”.
Playing a whopping twenty-three song set featuring a decently emotional mix of tracks from their extremely extensive catalog, everyone seemed to have no problem singing along and screaming their hearts out to each and every song. Ending the night with encores “The Worry List”, “Where Did You Go I’m Less Of A Mess These Days”, “Moving On”, and “I Hope You’re Happy”, Blue October’s unique sound and infectious energy makes it easy to understand why they have such a huge following of fans and lots of success.
BLUE OCTOBER
BEATNIK BANDITS
Photos + Review by Krystie Archer | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!