It was an emotional evening this past Thursday as alt-rockers Blue October made a stop at the Fillmore Charlotte on their “Heart Go Bang” tour. Led by front man Justin Furstenfeld, the band seems to have a unique and special relationship with their fans. Their music is intense both musically and lyrically and the night was a roller coaster of highs and lows that left every person in the audience “feeling” the music.
The crowd roared in anticipation as one by one the band members took the stage which was washed with blue lights and lots of fog and smoke. Kicking things off with”Coal Makes Diamonds” from their latest record “Home,” Blue October was in fine form. Musically they are completely in synch with one another perhaps due to the long term relationships within the band. Drummer Jeremy is Justin’s brother and violinist and pianist Ryan Delahoussaye has been friends with Justin since high school. Matt Noveskey has been back handling bass duties for over a decade now and new guitarist Matthew Ostrander seems to be fitting in nicely. It’s clear that they all are good friends and share a level of camaraderie not seen in every band. In fact, Justin jokingly referred to Ryan as his brother from another mother and playfully put Matthew in a headlock leaning in for a kiss on the cheek. The setlist was heavy with songs from “Home” and the audience seemed to be as in love with the newer material as they were with the Blue October classics. The band really turned up the heat for a rousing performance of “The Chllls” and a very heartfelt “Home.” Everyone was having a great time and when Blue October began to play “Sway,”everyone did just that as couples all around me were slow dancing and those without a partner were swaying with their hands in the air. It’s no secret that Justin has personal struggles with mental illness suffering from depression and anxiety. He has always been open about this with his fans and they love him all the more for it. I think this is where people really connect with the band as he really puts his heart and soul out there for the world to see. He took a moment to tell a story about being in a boat out on the ocean and throwing his pain away before launching into “Into the Ocean,” a crowd favorite of the night. Introducing the song with the line “This is where we come from,” the band closed out the set with “Houston Heights,” a reference to their Texas roots.
It wasn’t long before chants of “Hate Me” grew louder and louder. Justin came out to introduce “We Know Where You Go,” a song from “Home” that he wrote for his brother Jeremy. He credited him for always being there to keep him in line and give him a swift kick in the pants when needed. Jeremy came down to the front of the stage to join Justin for the vocals one of the most poignant moments of the night. A loud group kept screaming for “Hate Me” and Justin told them he was going to play it but he had one more song , “Fear,” which he would like to play first if that was ok. Afterwards the familiar opening phone call signified that “Hate Me” was next as Justin delivered on his promise to play their biggest hit. The crowd screamed their appreciation and when Justin said you sing it , the entire venue finished the chorus as he shouted thank you for a wonderful evening. It was a perfect ending but the show wasn’t quite over yet as Blue October put it into high gear for one more rocker “Leave It in the Dressing Room (Shake It Up.)”
Both the band and those in attendance left the venue physically and emotionally drained as a Blue October show isn’t just a concert but an experience for the mind,body, and soul. This is a night you don’t want to miss when Blue October rolls through your town.
Set List:
Coals Makes Diamonds
Independently Happy
I Want It
Say It
What If We Could
The Chills
Been Down
Home
Driver
Sway
Debris
Into The Ocean
Heart Go Bang
Houston Heights
Encore:
We Know Where You Go
Fear
Hate Me
Leave It In the Dressing Room (Shake It Up)
We would like to thank Paul Nugent from Rainmaker Artists for the credentials to review the show.
