Blue October & The Beatnik Bandits @ The Fillmore | 2-26-23
Review & Photos by Ben Mckone
The Fillmore was buzzing long before any act took the stage. Beneath the elegant chandeliers on the ceiling, the crowd from the front row to the balcony was clearly itching to let loose with some rock music, and they did not have to wait long before the opening act obliged. Hailing from Austin, Texas, The Beatnik Bandits brought a phenomenally joyous sense of energy to the Fillmore, jumping and bounding across the stage with an infectious glee. All smiles and laughs, all of the members seemed so happy to simply be present and making music. By the end of the first few songs, particularly the powerful new single ‘Hollywood Sign’, the quintet had fully won over the crowd.
But it was not all fun and games for the Bandits - they managed to fit a more tender moment in their brief set with the quieter “Grandpa’s Song”, which frontman Christian Sparks introduced as a more personal number about his grandfather and “the way that he saw the world”. The softer, more introspective track provided a needed interlude from the bombast of the rest of the set.
A five piece consisting of the classic rock band lineup of vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums, the Bandits played tightly throughout, never letting their movement and energy get the best of them. For such a young band - they have only been active since around 2018 - they command the stage and their sound with the confidence of veteran performers.
Sitting at the intersection of indie, folk, country, and rock, the Bandits have a self-proclaimed mission to establish “a new breed of classic American musician”. Their music is indeed classic, reminiscent of the heartland vibes of Bruce Springsteen or more recent artists like The Gaslight Anthem, but their youthful exuberance and boundless energy show their potential to carve out their place in the scene.
Blue October took the stage amidst fog and blinding red lights, each member appearing to increasing noise from the crowd. From the opening notes of the new song “The Kitchen Drawer” the sold-out crowd was hooked. By the third track, the enormous, anthemic “This Is What I Live For,” the singing from the audience was loud enough to be heard over the stage speakers.
“Do you like to dance?” frontman Justin Furstenfeld asked to roars of approval. “I do. I like to dance - I don’t care if I look f****** stupid”. While he never looked stupid, Furstenfeld’s body was indeed rarely still the entire night. And he didn’t just dance - he played his guitar behind his back, he perched on the edge of the stage, crouched like Spider-Man on a tall building, he writhed, twisted, and stalked across the entire space, all to the enthusiastic cheers of a committed crowd. “There you go, Justin!” one man shouted.
Beyond his dance moves, Furstenfeld cultivated a remarkably open and personal connection with the crowd throughout the night, sharing details between tracks about his struggles with mental health and his journey in recovering from addiction, sharing that he currently has ten years of sobriety. This inspiring story not only gave the audience a deeper connection with the man himself, but also gave more weight to Blue October’s songs, giving a window into the psyche of the composer and the emotions that went into writing them.
The setlist for the evening spanned all of the band’s nearly three-decade existence, featuring new tracks like the aforementioned “Kitchen Drawer” but also featuring their two 2006 platinum singles “Hate Me” and “Into the Ocean”. The audience, apparently all catalog listeners, were not just there for the hits. Every song was met with incredible enthusiasm, sing-alongs, and as much dancing as the packed venue floor would allow.
Blue October has ambitious plans for their upcoming album. Titled Spinning the Truth Around, the collection will be a triple album, to be released in three separate parts. The first part dropped in October 2022, the second will arrive in June 2023, with the third and final segment at a date yet to be announced. It’s a bold and unique strategy, but if the reception the group had in Minneapolis is any indication, they will have nothing to worry about.
