Last night was pretty much the highlight for me of 2014! We went out to see Blue October at the Ace of Spades, as they have begun another leg of the SWAY tour. I caught them last year as they put on a spectacular performance in San Francisco. Every time I leave a Blue October concert, I catch myself saying the exact same thing… I never thought they could exceed how excellent they were at their last performance and every time, they prove me wrong. They hit it out of the ballpark each and every time. Last night was another one of those unbelievable sets.
We arrived to a packed house on a Monday night at the Ace of Spades. One thing I love about Blue October fans, is there is no cookie cutter fan. Blue October‘s music extends across genres, generations and cultures. The room was filled with a diverse passionate crowd that comes together for the pure love of Blue October‘s music. Many fans who have never met, were soon sharing their Blue October experiences and stories with the strangers next to them, instantly changing them from fans to friends, strangers to a community. That is what is so magical about Blue October, their songs contain some of the most soul touching, energy charging, heartfelt, inspirational, rockin, personal music out today. Their music has been the soundscape for so many lives and have helped carried many through their hardest times, been there for times of celebration, a release for frustration and pent up emotions or just to simply provide melodies and harmonies in perfect song.
The opening band, The Architects pumped up the house with their punk style rock and we will be featuring them in an upcoming post. They got the crowd ready to rock! Blue October came out and performed a full 90+ minute set to include the following.
Once again, it was great to see C.B. Hudson touring with them as he has amazing stage presence. He steps through the fog wielding his guitar and giving a spine-tingling performance. Ryan Delahoussaye always has me completely captivated as he creates such a high energy rock sound with reverbs and wahs on his violin and guitar. Matt Noveskey on bass delivers a solid performance and he does some of the best bass slapping. He is always smiling and just looks like he is having the time of his life. He is right where he belongs, on that stage and everyone enjoys watching him. Jeremy Furstenfeld on drums pounds out some blistering rockin beats. He has such a high energy and delivers precision drumming that connects all the music together.
Justin Furstenfeld gave a spine tingling performance as his charismatic personality shines through each and every song. He moved around in the fog singing his emotionally driven lyrics that instantly captivated you. Justin was so connected to his fans, as you can see his eyes dance through the crowd as if to express his personal gratitude to each and every one of them for coming out to see them. These five guys together created the perfect storm and a performance that I will be talking about for a long time. It was amazing to see that they can perform songs that sound identical as to their studio version which is typically so hard to emulate during a live set.
The tour kicked off in Texas a couple weeks ago and will continue through to the end of May. It is one tour that I urge you not to miss. When you walk through those doors into the concert, whatever troubles your are having, challenges in your life or obstacles, they just simply disappear. What matters at that moment is truly enjoying the experience that lies ahead in those 90 minutes. The music does not provide an escape from what ails you but rather gives you a glimpse into a different perspective and recharges your spirit as you feel prepared to face any challenge.
If you don’t have it yet, make sure to pick up SWAY their latest release. It takes you on a journey as you are emotionally embraced with captivating lyrics and alluring melodies. You can’t help but be drawn into each song. Jeremy has said about this album: “The band is in a really great space now, everyone is healthy, happy, and doing well. That’s changed our point of view, and you can hear that new perspective on the album.”
Make sure to visit the social media sites and check the tour dates to see if you can catch this great concert. Get your tickets early since several locations are selling out and you don’t want to miss it. I will leave you with a slide show of some amazing photos by Rockin Ryan from the concert as well as a tribute video for Calling You from the San Francisco show last year and Say It from the Sacramento show. (also some live videos from Sacramento at bottom)
~ Enjoy, Marisol
Information & Links:
- Website: www.blueoctober.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/blueoctober
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/blueoctober
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/blueoctoberofficial
Previous Posts:
- Time for an Evening with Justin Open Book Tour
- Blue October is at the Peak of Perfection
- Justin opens his heart on his Open Book Tour
- Blue October SWAY tour lights up San Francisco
Tour Schedule:
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