Concert Review: Bailen Go “Simon & Garfunkel” On Bowery
If Bailen had declared on the mic, “I just want to dedicate this show to our dads, Simon & Garfunkel,” I would have said, “That sounds right.” This trio of sibling feel born from the Sounds of Silence, and are totally ready to meet “Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard.” They revive 70’s folk-pop with the fresh exuberance of their talent and emanated lightness.
This time around, Bailen were not so chatty. Although a few audio hiccups had them laughing with the crowd, but, for the most part, they played through their fantastic debut, Thrilled To Be Here, with an ease that made it feel like their third album. Every time I see Bailen, I am always surprised by how seasoned they feel. They own their instrumental and vocal talents with such a humble confidence; being able to riff away and invent on the spot whatever their heart sonically feels. It is fascinating because their show hails back to the times when just being a good musician felt BIG on stage.
BAILEN – I Was Wrong
Now, of course, I am not knocking how massive concert production have become because A) concerts can be expensive tickets and B) people need their fantasies ignited. Yet, there are times when an artist feels like they are competing with their ornate backdrop. Beyond beautiful lighting, it was Bailen that were the real production; allowing the audience to be engulfed by songs that make life feel like a tall glass of water that always gets drunk too quickly. Personally, I can’t get over that we are heading into the 2020’s. It is hard not to want to call Ryan Gosling’s Blade Runner and bike around sandy, neon dunes. WE ARE IN THE FUTURE PEOPLE! Yet, that was the magic of Bailen’s triple harmonies and thoughtful verses; they showed you that humanity really exists the present.
BAILEN – Something Tells Me (Live Performance Vevo)
Our minds may drift to the future, but our hearts can only what they are enduring now. In this sense, their songs made their show feel like an artful look at what it is to only have today: not a past of regrets and a future of unknowns. The result was a performance that felt epically now. For More Information On Bailen Click Here.
