KALEO with Neal Francis

See my earlier post, Concert Fun, to learn more before reading this.

I had been waiting months to see KALEO.  They are easily one of my favorite bands.  I started playing guitar these past few months.  The only songs that I have tried to learn are from them.  JJ Julius Son (Jökull Júlíusson) is such a talented musician.  He was born to be a ‘Rock N Roller.’   He plays guitar so well, often opting not to use a pick.  He plays piano.  He can sing and has such an amazing vocal range of at least two octaves.  He writes their songs and lyrics, which have always been so compelling and mature, even when they were in their early 20s.  He produces a lot of their music, too, now.  Those are just his musical talents.  He has a beautiful face and even more gorgeous body.  He has done some collaborations with clothing and jewelry lines, proving his creativity expands outside the realm of music.  If you ever hear or watch an interview with him, he just seems profoundly humble and grateful, and intelligent.

Does it sound like I’m fan girl-ing?  Probably.

Do I care?  Not in the slightest.

Without ever seeing him or knowing anything else about him and KALEO, they are just a great rock n’ roll band.  They don’t sound like anybody else.  There is no one’s sound that they are mimicking.  The music and the lyrics are deep, thoughtful, and can weave together beautiful stories.  I don’t know much about the rest of the band.  I admit that is unfortunate.  He steals the show for me.  However, if he was surrounded by mediocre or even shitty musicians, there is no way that he would shine the way he does.  The other guys in the band, lead guitarist Rubin Pollock, bassist Daniel Kristjánsson, drummer Davíð Antonsson, and harmonicist Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson, must be talented, as well.  Just don’t ask me to pronounce any of their names.

To say I was excited to see them is an understatement.  They did not disappoint!  KALEO is band made to play live.  Originally, they were schedule to perform at Gallagher Square.  A few weeks before the show, it was changed to Soma. 

If you know anything about KALEO, then you know that they have done quite a few versions of their songs outside, in front of an active volcano, inside and inactive one, in a boat, sitting on a tree trunk over a creek, etc.  They use the elements almost as if they are another instrument.  If not that, then at least to add special effects.  I believe that has something to do with their Icelandic background.  My understanding is that nature is an important part of their culture. 

It only seemed appropriate to see them at an outdoor venue.  Soma is a good venue.  It’s smaller venue that can only hold 2,300.  Gallagher Square can hold about 6,000.  I don’t know if it was switched because they had poor ticket sales—which is a complete shame—or some other reason.  In general, for me, the smaller, the better for the venue; it can be a much more intimate show.

They had recently released Lonely Cowboy, re-released Rock N Roller, and just two days before released Sofðu Unga Ástin Mín.  USA Today had not been released yet.  They opened with Lonely Cowboy. The lullaby, Sofðu Unga Ástin Mín, was not played at the show.  It was added to their set list later in the tour.  They rocked for their entire set, and the crowd was electric, singing along to almost everything.  The had the shortest time that I can ever remember before KALEO came back on and did their encore.  Everyone seemed super stoked with the performance. 

The next night, they were playing up in LA.  I should have went.  They are playing in the US until the middle of October.  Unfortunately, none of the shows are close.  November and December, KALEO is playing in Europe.  In February, they are scheduled for a festival in New Zealand.  I keep looking at the dates and locations, wondering if I can make another show (or two).

Neal Francis (not to be confused with Neil Frances) was the opener.  I had listened to him before the show and was not really impressed.  I was pleasantly surprised by his set.  He had great energy, he interacted well with the crowd, and stuck with a lot more of his upbeat songs.