Concert Review: Kaleo Are Rock Blues Heaven At Irving Plaza
Kaleo rocked two straight, sold-out nights at Irving Plaza. The rock-soul, bluesy quartet hails from Iceland, but you would not think it with their southern twang. These men feel like they came from Nashville to New York to make it big in the city. Yet, their global prowess adds on to their mystery… how did these Icelandic men discover the key formula to good country rock?
Kaleo had one of the best albums of 2016 with A/B. You know that an album is good when it surpasses its genre to be massively appealing. You do not need to be a country, blues, or rock fan to love this record. Although I am all of the above, I recognize that Kaleo’s ingredient to success comes with the Elvis-like persona of its frontman Jökull Juliusson (JJ). With his leather biker-jacket, slicked-back. pompadour hair, and charmed smile, he is the epitome of old-school lead singers that summoned an image of cool.
First, applause must be given the stage and lighting director. Through the entire 90 minute show, a bright limelight never stopped shining on JJ. Though the lighting on the band tossed between purple, yellow, and red, he was always shone with a white light that made him look like a dark angel. There he was singing with his his leather coat about sin, and emoting his darkened love for his musical mistress with a guttural cry. It fantastically romantic, which intertwined with the passions and primed of Kaleo’s songs on love. Lead Singer JJ does not sing from his soul or his mind…. he sings from his guts, which makes him perfect for country-rock.
Country-rock thrives on the instinctual nature of humanity. It speaks on desires like they are ingrained chips within souls that we act upon with simplicity, but are complicated by life’s challenges. Enter Kaleo, whom literally have a record that is 100% about chasing the beauty of a woman. From All The Pretty Girls, where a woman’s beauty seems like the breathe of life, to Way Down We Go, where it turns into a man’s final one, Kaleo sees that women are valiant, gorgeous beings that deserve to be treasured. Nearly every song is dedicated to the ups and downs of loving a good woman. It was bewitching to watch and listen. Moreover, it was fun.
Seeing Kaleo in their current Handprint Tour is like walking into an episode of True Blood. Their instrumentals, particularly their guitar riffs, can b vampiric in how they seems to gather the flesh and blood that comes with giving your heart to a relationship. Moreover, their songs carry the dark, country undercurrents that could soundtrack any episode of the hit series. I guarantee that future concert-goers will be vastly impressed by this band. For More Information on Kaleo Click Here.
